Get More Than Just The Legal Minimum Insurance

It would be very easy to look at an insurance agent's plea to get more than just the legal minimum insurance for your state as an attempt to get more of your money, but that's not how you should look at things. Each state has a legal minimum requirement for insurance, but this minimum is not always adequate for everything that you could need insurance for. Many states require some liability and property damage with a few wanting coverages for uninsured motorists and other potential events. But, that coverage doesn't cover a lot of what you can encounter each time you drive. If you are looking for car insurance, you should set up a policy that covers much more.

Are You Prepared to Pay to Fix Your Windshield?

Liability and property damage coverage won't pay for just any damage to your car, and if you've had a car for any appreciable length of time, you'll know that sometimes a pebble will fly at the windshield and leave a small chip. Even if the chip or crack isn't huge, you have to get that fixed, and if you don't have comprehensive coverage, the costs for the repair come out of your pocket. For a chip that's off to the side, waiting until you save up enough money might be possible. However, if the chip is in your direct line of sight, you'll have to get the windshield replaced as soon as possible—and that's expensive without insurance.

Are You Able to Cover Repair Costs if an Uninsured Motorist Hits Your Car?

Some states, as mentioned, require uninsured motorist coverage. Others don't, and if you're in one of those other states, what will you do if an uninsured motorist hits your car? How will you pay for repairs? You could sue the driver, but that can take months, if not years, to get resolved. In the meantime, you'll have repair costs, possibly the cost of buying a new car, and rental car costs while all the repairs or searching is going on. Without collision and uninsured motorist coverage, you'll have to pay all that yourself.

Can You Cover Rental Car Costs While Your Car Is in the Shop?

Speaking of rental car costs, if you're in an accident, many auto insurance policies have rental car coverage. This is voluntary coverage and can be helpful when you need it. If you need a car to get to work, rental cost coverage for even one week can be a huge help. Insurance coverage makes this so much easier to deal with.

Car insurance may seem expensive at first. However, there are ways to make your premiums much more manageable and ways to combine coverage to get you a better deal without hurting your budget. Contact a company for more information about auto insurance plans.