Will Your Auto Insurance Protect You In Accident?
Michael Babboni
Insurance Coverage
After 27 years of helping auto accident victims in St. Petersburg, FL we have seen how insurance companies work against victims. After a car accident, most insurance companies focus on protecting their profits over their customers. They use a variety of tricks and techniques to get out of paying a fair settlement.However, sometimes the problem also lies in a lack of comprehensive insurance coverage. If you haven’t gotten the right coverage, it can be extremely challenging to get the compensation you need to cover your injuries. Before you buy your next auto insurance policy, read this guide to make sure you are protected after an accident.
Why Comprehensive Insurance Coverage Is Important
Many times when we buy an insurance policy for our vehicles, we are looking for the cheapest rates. This is a good tactic when comparing insurance companies, but not when it means cuts to the protections in your policy. It is really important that you have good auto insurance coverage because when insurance companies try to get out of paying, you will have a stronger claim to your money. It will also help you stay protected if you are ever hit by someone who doesn’t have enough insurance to cover your damages.
A Guide To The Types Of Auto Insurance Coverages
When we buy our insurance policies, we often just trust our insurance agent to pick something out for us. This is a mistake, because as representatives of the insurance company, they are looking to find a way to get us to pay the most for the least. Furthermore, most policies use a lot of jargon, acronyms, and confusing language so customers had a hard time understanding what they are actually paying for when they buy a policy.
Here is a simple guide to the different types of auto insurance coverages, so you can review your policy and make sure you are protected:
● Property Damage Liability (PDL): The state of Florida requires all drivers to carry at least $10,000 in PDL. PDL coverages any property damage you caused another vehicle.
● Comprehensive: Comprehensive is also known as “full coverage” auto insurance. It covers everything that causes damage to your vehicle outside of collisions including theft, vandalism, and weather damage. This is a good policy for people with newer or higher value vehicles.
● Collision: Collision, also part of “full coverage” auto insurance, covers any damage to your car from a collision regardless of who is at fault for the accident. This is also good for drivers with newer or higher value vehicles. Full coverage policies are usually required by the creditor or bank if you have a loan or a lease on your vehicle.
● Personal Injury Protection (PIP): The state of Florida also requires all drivers to carry at least $10,000 in PIP insurance. PIP coverages the costs of injuries to you, your passengers, and the driver of the other vehicle and any passengers.
● Uninsured Motorist (UM): UM covers the damages when you’ve been hit by a driver that does not carry insurance. This is a good policy to consider in Florida where nearly a quarter of the drivers do not have insurance.
● Underinsured Motorist (UIM): UIM is a gap coverage that helps if the other driver does not have enough insurance to cover your damages. This will be paid out by your insurance company. This coverage is usually grouped with UM.
● Medical Payments (MedPay): MedPay is an add-on coverage that helps cover the costs of your medical bills after an accident regardless of fault. MedPay is good if you are concerned about the costs of medical bills after any accident.
There are a variety of other coverages such as towing and labor, rental reimbursement, and classic car insurance. These coverages very rarely impact your compensation after an accident.
A Good Insurance Policy Doesn’t Always Protect You
Sadly, even in cases when people have the best insurance policy money can buy, they aren’t always protected. Insurance companies never want to pay for damages and will attempt to get out of paying a fair settlement to even their most loyal customers. Fortunately, a good accident attorney, like The St. Pete’s Lawyer Michael Babboni, can help. Insurance companies know him by name and know that he will take a case all the way to court to make sure accident victims are protected.
Ultimately, you do want to make sure you have a good auto insurance policy so you are protected during. However, if you still get the runaround from the insurance companies, remember, you can always call us for help!