Avoid This Common Auto Insurance Mistake

Auto Insurance is designed to protect you and others driving around you when accidents occur.  We have found that many people don’t understand the magnitude or consequences of being involved in an injury-related auto accident.

Carrying low liability limits and low deductibles on your automobile insurance  

We have all witnessed increasing medical costs and the cost of vehicles in recent years. We are legally liable if we have caused or have been deemed to be at fault when an accident occurs.  If an at-fault accident occurs, and the other party goes to the hospital and medical treatment is necessary, chances are the majority of people in Oklahoma do not have sufficient insurance to cover Bodily Injury (medical bills, loss of income, pain, and suffering, etc).  For example, if you have $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident and injured someone that will require surgery, rehab, and time off of work, you likely do not have enough coverage.   

Also, if you have been involved in an at-fault accident with a late model vehicle/vehicles and that vehicle is a total loss, minimum coverage will likely not be sufficient. For most situations, it makes sense to carry higher liability limits and higher comprehensive and collision deductibles.  For example, if you currently carry $250 deductibles on comprehensive and collision it may be a better use of your premium dollars for asset protection to increase your deductibles to $500 or $1,000 and increase your bodily injury liability and property damage liability.  

Find out what level of coverage you need

If you had an accident and had to come up with an additional $500 that would likely not change your financial situation.  If you hit and injured someone and they had $150,000 of medical bills, rehabilitation, and loss of income and you only had $50,000 of insurance (therefore you have $100,000 liability), that would likely be devastating financially.  

You should discuss these scenarios with your agent and look at your income, assets, and exposures to determine an appropriate level of bodily injury and property damage coverage for your situation.  Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.  My goal is to help you may wise decisions regarding your insurance protection.