Everything You Need to Know About Auto Insurance

If you own a car – you need insurance. What exactly does auto/car insurance cover? Why do you need it, how much does it cost? All these questions are important to know if you are new to the auto insurance world, or if you just want to get new insurance.  Auto insurance is broken down many different ways, like depending on your age, gender, years of driving, accident history and more. These factors all come together to determine what your premium is – meaning how much you pay per month or year.

What Does it Cover?
Auto insurance is required by law in most US states. Nearly every state requires bodily injury liability and property damage liability. Not all states require medical protections, but many do. All of these types of protections mean:
            Property: theft and damage to your car
            Liability: bodily injury or property damage to others which you are responsible for
            Medical: treating injures, rehabilitation and in serious cases wages and funeral expenses

Why Do I Need It?
There are multiple different reasons why you need auto insurance, but the most important one is that it is the law. In 48 states it is required that you have car insurance for a minimum limit. Besides the fact it is a law, there are other reasons why you should definitely get car insurance.

It protects you from having to pay a large amount of money if you ever get in an accident. If you are not at fault for an accident, you will not need to pay for the damages. This is because the person who is at fault will have to pay the damages with their insurance. If an accident is ever your fault, it is better to have insurance so you don’t have to pay for all the damages yourself. It also protects your car in cases that aren’t an accident. For instance, this would be if a tree branch fell on your car, your car is stolen or you accidently hit a mailbox. Another reason is if you are in an accident with someone who doesn’t have insurance, you then are able to pay your own medical bills with your insurance.

What is the Cost?
As mentioned earlier your premium will depend on many different factors. It can also depend on state, zip code and credit history. As a ballpark number the average in the US is around $1,099 per year meaning around $92 a month. This number is combined of all the different coverage you decide to have. This means you could be paying $500 for liability, $300 for property damage coverage and $300 for medical expenses. Each state is different depending on how they have as a minimum limit for you to pay.

Overall auto insurance is very important to have and not just because it’s the law to have it, but also because it protects you, your car and your peace of mind. From all of us at Keystone-Deibler, Straub & Troutman Insurance we wish you a Happy Easter!