Buy Car Insurance

If you are going to buy online a car insurance policy, you should know a few things in order to get the best deal. When you get in a car accident, there are many things that could happen: you hit someone, someone hits you, you hit a tree, a rock falls on you, someone breaks a window and steals your radio, etc. You might want protection from certain types of disasters only, preferring to have lower monthly premiums.

Nobody really wants to buy car insurance online, but if you drive a car you must be insured. It is the law. Then, since it cannot be avoided, What kind of car insurance should you buy? You have many alternatives, of which the most important aspects that should be considered are:

Extent of coverage:

Liability - It protects you if you are found at fault in an accident by paying for damage to other people's cars and property, any medical bills they might have incurred as a result, as well as any "pain and suffering" the accident may have caused them. Liability coverage is by far the most important component of your insurance, and it is the only type of coverage required by law.
Collision - Pays for your repairs up to the book value of your car regardless of who was at fault in the accident. If you are leasing or financing a new car, dealers will often require that you have this type of insurance.
Comprehensive - Protects you by paying for the repairs of any physical damage caused to your car by anything other than a collision, such as fire, vandalism, theft, or hitting an animal
Medical - Unlike liability, which pays for the hospital bills of those in the other car, this coverage pays for the bills of you and your passengers. This is also known as "Personal Injury Protection."
Uninsured and Underinsured Driver - This covers damages done to you, your passengers, and your car caused by uninsured or underinsured drivers as well as "hit and run" or other accidents caused by unidentifiable vehicles.

The policy that is right for you

To buy car insurance online that's right for you is similar to deciding what options you want to purchase when buying a car. To buy car insurance you need to establish your priorities and for this it is convenient to break down the process into the following three steps:

Select your mandatory coverage
Select your optional coverage
Set your deductible

1. Select your mandatory coverage - Most states demand that all drivers have at least the so called "minimum liability", expressed usually as a series of three numbers separated by slashes. For example, the New York state requires a minimum liability of 25/50/10, though a driver can buy more car insurance if so wished. The meaning of those three numbers as as follows:

The first number is the maximum amount, in thousands of dollars, the insurance company will pay for any one person in the other car injured in an accident, for example, in NY it is $25,000. The second number is the maximum amount, in thousands of dollars, the insurance company will pay for all parties, in the other car, injured in an accident. In NY it is $50,000. The third number is the maximum amount, in thousands of dollars, the insurance company will pay for any car or property damage done to the other car, due to an accident. In NY it is $10,000.

Many drivers opt to go with their state minimum liability requirements, but insurers often recommend going with a higher amount, especially to affluent customers. This make sense because "pain and suffering" of the other parties may be very costly, especially if they got the help of a talented lawyer. Also if you are leasing or financing your car, it is likely that the dealership will require you to get higher liability coverage than the state minimum.

2. Select your optional coverage - There are other optional coverage extensions that you should consider if you buy car insurance online, as the ones that follow:

Collision/comprehensive. It pays to repair your car. Paring down this coverage is a way to save money, but it makes sense only if your car is an old piece of junk. For a new or expensive car, buying comprehensive coverage is surely the best option.
Medical insurance for your passengers or drivers that are not listed on your policy. Not buying medical coverage for yourself if you already have health insurance that will pay for your hospital bills in case of an accident is a good way to lower your premium.
Extension of your coverage to rental cars
Extension of your coverage out-of-state
Substitute transportation coverage. This covers a substitute car rental while yours is being repaired.
Towing and labor coverage. This pays a certain amount for having your car towed if it breaks down.

3. Set your deductible - Buying car insurance online with lower deductibles means higher premiums because the insurance company has to pay more if you have an accident. This is one of the most important factors that determine the cost of your car insurance. Concerning this matter you should weigh your options carefully. Low deductibles makes sense only if you are in a tight budget. Otherwise, higher deductibles will save you money in the long run because of lower premiums.

Home

Affordable Car Insurance

Best Car Insurance

Car Insurance in New Jersey

Car Insurance Prices

Car Insurance Quotes

Antique Car Insurance

Car Insurance Broker

Car Insurance Claim

Car Insurance Collector

Woman Car Insurance

Site Map

Insure Your Car!