- July 13, 2019
An Auto insurance representative is these mythical being at the other end of your phone conversation. They have all the answers right in front of them, but they talk in confusing circles. You’re likely going to get more help in settling your insurance claim with a lawyer than your insurance directly, but these questions can help you identify the quality of the coverage you have.
A car accident lawyer in Buffalo, NY, can guide you through this unnecessarily difficult process. As you work with your insurance company, it’s easy to become increasingly frustrated. Don’t let your frustration get the best of you. Rely on legal help and then go out and find quality insurance.
Do I Have the Coverage I Need?
This question is a double-edged sword for insurance representatives, which is why often avoid giving a direct answer. The thing is that not many people need full coverage. Short of an alien invasion happening many people need somewhere between top-notch coverage and minimal coverage.
But they wouldn’t be doing their company service if they told anyone who didn’t have the best level of coverage that they were fine. So, what is a good answer from a car insurance representative?
When you’re asking these questions, keep an ear out for keywords such as:
- Minimum requirements for New York
- Collision
- Comprehensive
- Expenses
Of course, each of these words should come with a thorough explanation. It makes picking out the core information easier. New York minimum insurance requirements are liability coverage at set dollar values. Collision and comprehensive insurance options should come with some explanation that ties into expenses or out-of-pocket costs.
What Exactly is Covered If I am in an Accident?
A lot of people simply don’t know. Many younger drivers simply believe that as long as they pay for insurance, any damage or injuries will be taken care of by their insurance. That’s not true.
So how can an insurance representative explain this while giving you an honest answer? Well, they simply have to resort back to your type of insurance.
Liability insurance will likely only pay for damages to the other driver’s car or property. It’s the minimum coverage, and once the limit is hit, there is no more coverage to go around. Often people with liability insurance find that their cars and injuries don’t get covered.
Collision coverage will only cover damage that comes from a car crash, while comprehensive coverage will include anything even theft. But each policy has different tiers, and your rep should take the time to make those figures relative for you. It’s easy for an insurance representative to say that you have $50,000 in property damage. But if your car’s value exceeds that you’ll be shocked to learn that some damage won’t be covered.
What “Out of Pocket” Costs Come with A Wreck?
Why can’t insurance representatives be transparent with you about out-of-pocket costs? Well, because after a wreck, people are quick to anger. No one wants to hear that after paying religiously for months, probably upwards of thousands of dollars that they have to come out of pocket again.
That’s right. Even the best insurance doesn’t come without a deductible. If it does, then you’re likely overpaying for insurance. So how do you calculate how much you will end up paying for yourself?
When your car insurance rep was explaining what will fall under your coverage, they likely mentioned many different policy limits. Let’s say your policy has a $20,000 property damage collision coverage and you were in a wreck. Great, you’re covered! But first, you need to pay out your $2,000 deductible.
That deductible will always come out of your pocket before insurance coverage becomes available, which means that if the damage is only $1,000, then you pay for the entire repair. Now if the damages totaled to $8,000 then you would pay the $2,000 deductible and your insurance would pay the remaining $6,000.
Typically, higher monthly payments mean lower deductibles, and lower monthly rates have higher deductibles.
Contact a Car Wreck Attorney Straight Away
After you’re in a car crash, you might have the startling realization that you don’t have enough coverage. Many people don’t understand their policies and can’t get straight answers from the insurance companies. This combination makes it impossible for many people to get the proper insurance they need.
Work with a lawyer to understand your existing policy. The Buffalo Car Accident Lawyers can help you understand the particular problems that might come up during your claim.
