Car Insurance-Understanding the Basic Stuff
Insurance Info & Best Deals
You probably know what car insurance means if you already have one. But for those who are still not familiar with how car insurance works and its various components, this article will flash some light on the basics.
Obviously, car insurance means that you are insuring your car with an insurance company to take care of the expenses that may arise out of your driving incidents plus any non-driving incident that involves your car. Okay this explanation sounds pretty good at first impression, huh?
But people who are quite fresh to the concept of car insurance may not understand how their car could get involved in non-driving related incidents. Okay, you got a valid point; let me explain. Suppose you parked your car and went off to catch up on some sleep. Same night, foxy burglars decide to steal your car, or maybe it was your unlucky night and the entire neighborhood gets flooded and the floods turn your car into a boat and sail it away.
Both these incidents are NOT driving related but definitely involve your car. Ahh, now you get my point What are Car Insurance Groups?
In the UK, car insurance groups are in place to make the selection of your insurance policy easier. Overall there are 50 car insurance groups, and each of these groups is classified depending upon a lot of factors like the automobile brand, the costs that are likely to be incurred in repairing any damages, the amount of time taken to replace the parts, the security measures installed by the car owner to protect it from possible theft or damage, the maximum acceleration or speed capacity that the car can reach etc.
To these general factors are added the personal factors of the car owner like his / her driving history.
Overall, it is just an easy and systematic method devised by the Group Rating Panel, to quickly estimate the car insurance policy premium amount payable by the car owner.
Factors Involved in Car Insurance Policies
When you opt for a car insurance policy, you are actually being covered for many factors. These factors will depend upon the policy you opt for. Each country and each State within a country may have different set of optional and non-optional insurance factors. Here is a list of factors that are commonly included as a part of the policies.
Liability
All costs incurred in event of an accident are covered by this factor. Any damage to the other person related to the automobile, property or physical injury, including the compensation for medical treatment or lost wages are all covered by the Liability factor.
Medical Coverage
As the term obviously suggests, it covers all medical expenses arising out of an accident and is paid irrespective of who was at fault.
PIP
This is also a type of medical coverage for the insured person, irrespective of who was to blame in the accident.
Collision
This pays for all damages due to collision of your vehicle with other objects or other vehicles.
Comprehensive
This covers all damages and expenses related to non-accidental causes.Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist
Both these factors will cover all vehicular damage expenses caused to the insured driver’s automobile, caused by an uninsured / underinsured (insufficient insurance) motorist.
Rental Reimbursement
This factor covers expenses arising out of accidental damage to your rental car and usually has allowance on a daily basis.Synopsis
It is necessary to understand the basics of your car insurance before you select an insurance policy. Understanding the basics also puts you in a position to better evaluate the kind of policy you need.