Why Understanding Your Auto Insurance is So Important

In today’s world of how low you can go, some auto insurance companies have changed their business model from making sure their customers have the right coverage to just giving them the cheapest price. Unfortunately, the average auto owner does not know that having the wrong amount of coverage can be the most expensive mistake they will ever make. When you or anyone else drives your auto, everything you own is exposed to a lawsuit, including your house, if you do not have enough coverage when you or anyone driving your auto has an at fault accident, or even a not at fault accident.

The liability portion of your auto insurance consists of three components. These include two amounts for bodily injury and one amount for property damage.

Illinois requires liability is carried on all vehicles registered. The amount that the state requires are $25,000, which is bodily injury for one person, $50,000 for all persons hurt and $25,000 for all property damage displayed on the policy as 25/50/25.

What the consumer needs is the understanding that if any individual has an at fault accident resulting in expenses that exceed the amount of insurance coverage as we indicated earlier, all of an individual’s assets are exposed and can be attached to pay the remaining expenses.

If you are in a not at fault accident and the person who caused the accident is uninsured or underinsured the same amounts of liability coverage you have will apply to you or anyone in your auto.

One term that is widely used by consumers of insurance is the statement “I have full coverage insurance”. Unfortunately, that phrase has been completely twisted. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FULL COVERAGE. IT DOES NOT EXIST! The term simply means you have liability coverage and what is called comprehensive and collision coverages. Comprehensive is coverage for damage that was not caused by a collision (i.e. tree falling on car) Collision is coverage if you are in an accident with another vehicle. These two coverages are also limited by amount purchased.

It’s important to make sure that the insurance coverages you purchase are enough to protect all of your assets. That is why Allstate has developed their agents into trusted advisors who have been taught how to customize the proper coverages to protect all your assets from financial ruins.

The Allstate office on State St. in the Sycamore will give a no obligation free insurance analysis of your current coverage to determine if you are properly covered.

For more information on the content covered in this article or a for free analysis call 815-991-2003. This is why you hear the phrase:

ARE YOU IN GOOD HANDS?

Allstate Insurance Company 331 W. State St., Sycamore Patrick D. Shafer | 815-991-2003