When you begin to research information about auto insurance, you may find yourself confused rather quickly. It does not help that there is a lot of jargon and phrases that you are not familiar with. Here at Trueway Insurance, we are here to explain some general insurance terms to help you get a better understanding. When it comes to cheap auto insurance and car insurance quotes, we are the professionals you can count on. We are conveniently located in Palm Springs.
Auto Insurance Terms You Need To Know
- Aftermarket parts: Vehicle parts made by a different company than the one that manufactured those originally included with the vehicle.
- Bodily injury coverage: Covers expenses for physical injuries, such as hospital bills or medical care.
- Collision coverage: This pays for damage to a vehicle caused by you or someone else covered by your policy.
- Comprehensive coverage: If your vehicle is damaged by something you could not control, such as fire or a tree falling, comprehensive coverage applies.
- PIP (personal injury protection): This pays medical expenses for a policyholder or additional insured, and their passengers, if they are hurt in an auto accident, regardless of fault.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UIM): Pays for your damages and expenses if another driver is at fault in an accident but does not have enough insurance to cover your costs.
Do not forget about these other general insurance terms that you need to know to get a better understanding:
- Actual cash value: This type of coverage pays according to what an item was worth at the time it was damaged—it takes the depreciation and wear and tear into account. For example, if you could have sold your couch for about $200 just before it was damaged, that’s the actual cash value, even if a similar new couch would cost $1,000.
- Actual replacement cost: This pays the amount it would cost to replace a damaged item with a new one (such as the $1,000 couch above). It does not factor in depreciation or wear and tear.
- Adjuster: A person who works for an insurance company to evaluate losses and settle claims.
- Additional insured: Someone who is not the policyholder, but is still covered by an insurance policy.
- Declarations page: This is what creates a contract between you and the insurance company. It describes who owns the policy, what property is covered and for how much, etc.
- Deductible: The amount you agree to pay out of pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in. For example, if the cost to fix your car is $2,000, but your deductible is $1,000, you would pay $1,000 of the total cost. Typically, a higher deductible means a lower premium.
- Endorsement: This is a change to your insurance policy’s coverage, usually made through a special form.
- Exclusion: Something specifically listed in your policy that is not covered by the policy.
- Liability: Your responsibility for injuries or damage to other people or property. You purchase insurance to protect against liability and other risks.
- Loss of use: When damage from an accident or other cause prevents someone from being able to live in their home or drive their car.
- Med Pay (medical payments): This pays for medical expenses for those covered by your policy in the event of an auto accident, regardless of fault. It also covers medical expenses for guests if they are injured on your property, but unless it is a car accident, it usually does not cover injuries someone suffers on their own property.
- Premium: The amount you pay for an insurance policy.
- Subrogation: When an insurance company pays a claim, and then seeks damages from a third party who was responsible for causing the damage or loss. For example, your insurance company might pay for your car to be fixed even though the accident wasn’t your fault—and then pursue reimbursement from the person who was at fault.
- Term: The period of time your insurance policy is in effect, usually six or 12 months.
- Umbrella: A policy that provides additional liability coverage. It kicks in after your other insurance policies have reached their coverage limits.
- Underwriting: The evaluation process insurance companies use to determine if they will provide coverage to a customer.
Get Cheap Auto Insurance From Us!
Trueway Insurance is an insurance company located in Lake Worth. We offer the best affordable insurance in Florida. This includes those looking for cheap auto insurance. We are here to provide quality for our customers because we believe in the power that insurance can have in any person’s life. If you are interested in learning more about what we can do for you or you have further questions regarding notaries and how they play a part in the insurance process, contact us. Take advantage of our car insurance quotes. We hope you find the information you need here but if not please give us a call at (561) 318-5540. Take advantage of one of the best insurance companies today!