Coverage Terms
Liability Coverage (LIABILTY)
How much protection does this coverage provide?
The dual coverage limits refer to the maximum amounts that will be paid per person, per incident, respectively.
Essential things to keep in mind when selecting your Bodily Injury limits:
If you select limits that are too low, you could be putting yourself at risk financially.
For example, if either you or a driver covered by your policy cause a serious injury where damages exceed your limits, you will be held responsible for the amount above your limits. To make that payment, you could be forced to liquidate property, savings, and other assets, or your future earnings could be attached. By purchasing liability limits to account for both your current assets and future net worth, you can help protect yourself against this risk.
How much protection does this coverage provide?
The coverage limits refer to the maximum amounts that will be paid per accident.
Essential things to keep in mind when selecting your Property Damage limits:
If you select limits that are too low, you could be putting yourself at risk financially. For example, if either you or a driver covered by your policy cause a serious accident where damages exceed your limits, you will be held responsible for the amount above your limits. To make that payment, you could be forced to liquidate property, savings and other assets, or your future earnings could be attached. By purchasing liability limits to account for both your current assets and future net worth, you can help protect yourself against this risk.
Physical Damage Coverage (COMP and COLL)
Covers your vehicle, and sometimes other vehicles you may be driving for losses resulting from incidents other than collision. For example, comprehensive insurance covers damage to your car if it is stolen; or damaged by flood, fire, or animals. Pays to fix your vehicle less the deductible you choose. To keep your premiums low, select as high a deductible as you feel comfortable paying out of pocket. Coverage is limited to the terms and conditions contained in the policy. This is not required by a state, but if you have a loan or a lease then the lien holder will require it.
How much protection does this coverage provide?
The amount you see typically refers to the deductible, or the portion of a claim you’re responsible for paying.
A higher deductible can substantially lower the cost of insurance premiums. You should balance this savings against your ability to absorb a larger out-of-pocket expense.
For example, if you set your deductible at $1,000 and your car sustains damages totaling $1,500, you will pay $1,000 and your insurance company will pay $500.
Who might benefit from buying Comprehensive coverage?
If your car is financed or leased, the finance company will probably require that you carry this coverage.
If you have a newer vehicle or one in excellent condition, you may need this coverage to replace or repair the vehicle in case of loss.
If you have an older car or one in poor condition, you may not want to pay for this coverage.
Covers damage to your car when your car hits, or is hit by, another vehicle, or other object. Pays to fix your vehicle less the deductible you choose. To keep your premiums low, select as large a deductible as you feel comfortable paying out of pocket. For older cars, consider dropping this coverage, since coverage is normally limited to the cash value of your car. Coverage is limited to the terms and conditions contained in the policy. This is not required by a state, but if you have a loan or a lease then the lien holder will require it.
How much protection does this coverage provide?
The amount you see typically refers to the deductible, or the portion of a claim that you’re responsible for paying.
A higher deductible can substantially lower the cost of insurance premiums. You should balance this savings against your ability to absorb a larger out-of-pocket expense.
For example, if you set your deductible at $1,000 and your car sustains damages totaling $1,500, you’ll pay $1,000 and your insurance company will pay $500.
Who might benefit from buying Collision coverage?
If your car is financed or leased, the finance company will probably require that you carry this coverage.
If you have a newer vehicle or one in excellent condition, you may need this coverage to replace or repair the vehicle in case of loss.
If you have an older car or one in poor condition, you may not want to pay for this coverage.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM)
In states where Uninsured Property Damage is not offered (24 states), companies usually just define UMBI as UM, without the added extension of BI because there is no other UM offered in that state.
Covers when property damage is sustained by an insured and the negligent operator possesses insurance, but the limits of liability carried by the negligent driver are not sufficient to cover the damages.
How much protection does this coverage provide?
If you don’t have Collision coverage, Underinsured Motorist Property Damage coverage pays up to a certain amount for repairs to the insured car (some states have limits at $3500, some are lower and some are higher) If you have Collision coverage, Underinsured Motorist Property Damage coverage only pays your Collision deductible (in some states).
Does this coverage replace Collision coverage?
No. Underinsured Motorist Property Damage alone is not enough to cover all potential car repair/replacement costs, and only applies if you are involved in an accident caused by a driver without enough liability insurance coverage.
Covers your auto when property damage is sustained by an insured and the negligent operator does not possess insurance.
How much protection does this coverage provide?
If you don’t have Collision coverage, Uninsured Motorist Property Damage coverage pays up to a certain amount for repairs to the insured car (some states have limits at $3500, some are lower and some are higher). If you have Collision coverage, Uninsured Motorist Property Damage coverage only pays your Collision deductible (in some states).
Does this coverage replace Collision coverage?
No. Uninsured Motorist Property Damage alone is not enough to cover all potential car repair/replacement costs, and only applies if you are involved in an accident caused by a driver without insurance coverage.
Covers you, the insured members of your household and your passengers for injuries, damages or death caused by the negligence of a person with insufficient insurance. If you have an accident with a person whose coverage cannot meet your damages, your policy will meet the difference-up to the limit of liability listed on your policy.
Who’s covered?
Policyholder
Other drivers covered by the policy
Passengers
How much protection does this coverage provide?
If the other driver involved in an accident is underinsured, this coverage typically pays any difference between what the other driver’s insurance covers and what your bodily injury coverage will pay. The coverage limits refer to the maximum amount that will be paid per person, per incident, respectively. If the limits you purchase are lower than an accident’s costs, you’ll be responsible for paying the amounts over your limits, unless you’re covered by health insurance.
Who might benefit from buying uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage?
Individuals without health insurance may benefit from this coverage, because if the limits chosen are inadequate, you’ll be responsible for paying the additional amount.
Covers you, the insured members of your household and your passengers for bodily/personal injuries, damages or death caused by an at-fault uninsured or hit-and-run driver. If you are involved in an accident where the other driver is at fault but has no insurance, your policy will cover your medical expenses, up to the limit on your policy.
Who’s covered?
Policyholder
Other drivers covered by the policy
Passengers
How much protection does this coverage provide?
If the other driver involved in an accident is uninsured, this coverage pays up to the limit you purchase. The coverage limits refer to the maximum amount that will be paid per person, per incident, respectively.
Who might benefit from buying uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage?
Individuals without health insurance may benefit from this coverage, because if the limits chosen are inadequate, you’ll be responsible for paying the additional amount.
Other Coverage
Covers within the specified limits, the medical, hospital and funeral expenses of the insured, others in his vehicles and pedestrians struck by him. The basic coverage for the insured’s own injuries on a first-party basis, without regard to fault. It is only available in certain states.
Who’s covered?
Policyholder
Policyholder’s relatives in the same household
Passengers
Other authorized drivers
Policyholder and family members if they are injured while riding in someone else’s car or as a pedestrian when struck by another vehicle. (in some states)
How much protection does this coverage provide?
Total payments covered by PIP are the limits indicated. That is the maximum amount that will be paid per person for any combination of covered expenses (some states offer limits and others set it to an amount like $10,000). Specific limits and coverages vary by state.
Who might benefit from buying additional medical coverage along with PIP?
People who don’t have health insurance that adequately covers the expenses listed above or people who carpool or frequently drive with passengers.
First Party Benefits cover several areas of insurance coverage; however, this definition is for First Party Benefits-Medical. Similar to medical payments coverage and Personal Injury Protection, FPB helps pay for your medical expenses if you or relatives living in your household are injured in an accident. Specific limits and coverages vary by state, but typically these services include:
Related medical and surgical treatment
Essential rehabilitative services (physical therapy, speech pathology, etc.)
Necessary dental, psychiatric, psychological, and optometric treatment
Ambulance and nursing service
Required medications, medical supplies, and prosthetic devices
Who’s Covered?
First Party Benefits-Medical provides coverage to the policyholder, drivers listed on the policy and relatives living in the same household as the policyholder.
How much protection does this coverage provide?
Total payments covered by FPD are the limits indicated. That is the maximum amount that will be paid per person for any combination of covered expenses.
Covers medical expenses to you and your passengers injured in an accident. There may also be coverage if as a pedestrian a vehicle injures you. Does NOT matter who is at fault. Medical payments may also cover policyholders and their family members when they are injured while riding in someone else’s car or when they are hit by a car while on foot or bicycling. Coverage is limited to the terms and conditions contained in the policy.
Who might benefit from buying Medical Payments coverage?
If you and your regular passengers already have health insurance that covers similar expenses, medical payments coverage may be unnecessary. Check your health insurance policy for details.
What is GAP Insuance?
GAP insurance can provide valuable protection during the early years of your car’s life if you have a loan or a lease.
If a loss occurs, GAP insurance will pay the difference between the actual cash value of the vehicle and the current outstanding balance on your loan or lease. Gap Insurance protects your vehicle lease or loan. Sometimes it will also pay your regular insurance deductible.
If your vehicle has been totaled by accident, theft, fire, flood, tornado, vandalism, or hurricanes your insurance company typically pays the actual cash value. That may be less than its actual retail value. It is often considerably less than the actual amount you still owe on your loan or the amount due for a lease payoff.
The amount between your insurance deductible and the loss from this financial shortfall is the “gap” you can be left owing.
When you purchase your policy online with ACJO Insurance Services, most of our carriers offer this coverage. It is labeled Loan/Lease Gap coverage. You can purchase it easily with your policy for very little premium. If you don’t have a ACJO Insurance Services policy, ACJO Insurance Services offers GAP Insurance as a separate policy.
This is how a “GAP” occurs (using fictitious numbers):
You choose a car that costs $25,000 and you drive it off the lot.
After paying the down payment you owe $24,000 in car payments over 5 years (0% interest loan = $400 car payments).
You purchase physical damage insurance (comprehensive and collision) with a $500 deductible to protect you against damages and loss.
You have an accident while you are still upside down on your loan or lease (“Upside down” means owing more on a car than it’s worth) and your vehicle is totaled.
The insurance company determines that the actual cash value of the car is only $22,000, but at the time of the loss you still owe $23,500.
GAP insurance should pay the difference plus your deductible totalling $2000. (Not all GAP policies pay the deductible)
Here are the line items:
Loan Payoff at the time of accident: $23,500
Vehicles actual value at the time of accident: $22,000
Your deductible: $500
Physical Damage Insurance Company pays: $21,500 ($22,000 minus $500 deductible)
GAP insurance pays the difference between what is owed and what the Physical Damage Insurance Company pays (plus your deductible): $2000
Typically a new car is worth approximately 30 percent less in 3 months than the day it was purchased! In our example above, if you owned the car for 3 days, had physical damage coverage and the car was totaled, you could owe 20% to 30% of the $24,000 ($4,800 to $7,200 out of your pocket) even though you purchased “full coverage.”
Car owners often assume that if their car is totaled, it will be replaced at the amount they paid, or at least the amount they owe. This is not so. Many car insurance companies offer a GAP option (Loan/Lease Gap Insurance) as an optional coverage that is available with physical damage coverage. If you carrier doesn’t offer it, Contact Us!
Remember these possible exclusions/policy rules:
Maximum Limit of Loss: $50,000
A GAP claim settlement may not cover the entire gap due, when your loan’s Original Amount Financed exceeds 120% of MSRP (new vehicle) or NADA Retail Value (used vehicles), plus 30% of Value allowable for Additional Financed Items like Credit Life or Service Contracts.
The claim settlement does not cover late charges or other penalties due to your lender.
Your loan amount financed must be less than or equal to $100,000.
Your loan term must not be greater than 84 months.
The loan must not have a balloon payment due at the end of the term.
The maximum APR is 12.5%
Comment Update: Your situation where you left the dealership and only have the car for 15 minutes is the perfect scenario where GAP insurance applies. The car isn’t worth the value you paid for it, therefore your insurance company will only give the “cash value” of the car. The other person is likely responsible for all the damages, but if their company doesn’t give you full value then GAP insurance would pay the difference and likely go after the liable party (subrogation).