Coverage · Auto
Auto insurance, explained.
On the road and in what comes next.
What it covers
An auto policy is a bundle of separate coverages, each with its own limit. Knowing which is which is most of the battle, so here they are in plain words.
Liability
Pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people and their property. Every state requires some, and the minimum is usually less than a serious accident costs.
Collision
Repairs or replaces your own car after a crash, whoever is at fault, minus your deductible.
Comprehensive
Your car when it is not a crash: theft, hail, flood, a tree, a deer. Also minus a deductible.
Uninsured / underinsured motorist
Covers you when the other driver has no insurance or not enough. Easy to skip, hard to replace.
Medical coverage
Medical bills for you and your passengers after an accident. In Florida this is Personal Injury Protection (PIP), which the state requires [confirm current requirement]; in Illinois it is optional medical payments coverage [confirm].
Extras
Rental reimbursement while your car is in the shop, roadside assistance, gap coverage on a financed car. Small add-ons that matter on the day you need them.
One good first question
“If I caused a serious accident tomorrow, would my liability limit cover it, or would the rest come from me?”
Bring this one to Elona and the rest of the conversation gets easier.
What Elona looks at
- Your current declarations page: continuous coverage, every vehicle, and the limits you already carry are the things that lower a rate. Uploading it is faster than typing and proves more.
- Whether your liability limits match what you have to lose, not just what the state requires.
- Deductibles you could comfortably pay tomorrow, and whether raising one is worth it.
- Who drives what: a new driver at home, a car you are about to buy, a car you no longer have.