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No matter what you call it, we’re here to help
Auto insurance was the first product we ever offered. We know it better than just about anything else we do, and we do it better than just about anyone else. Need coverage for your luxury car? We got that. Have a teen getting their license for the first time. No problem. Always had liability only but thinking you may need more with a new car? Let us walk you through it so you get what you need and avoid paying for what you don’t.
Given the sheer amount of cars on the road and the distractions drivers deal with every day, the chances of using your auto policy are higher than ever.
You’re at risk literally every single day you get in your car.
It’s important to understand what your coverage options are, not just for your car, but for you, and people who may be injured as a result of your negligence.
Know your limits.
While we have an entire blog post about not having enough auto liability, the truth is that people usually don’t understand why they need liability coverage in the first place. The reason is simple: it protects other people from your negligence.
Liability pays for the damage you do to someone else in an auto accident. It pays for both the vehicles and any personal injuries in the accident, the combination of which can add up rapidly. Most vehicles now are more expensive than they have ever been, and when you consider the cost of luxury vehicles and especially the cost of hospitalization, a common auto accident could end up costing in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
That’s why we always recommend at least $100,000/$300,000 of coverage here in North Carolina, or $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident. While this may seem like a lot, if you are involved in a bad accident or a multi-car accident and you are the last vehicle, you can exceed this amount in a flash.
There’s more info to come. But, if you just want to get to the nitty gritty and get a quote, click below:
Important Auto Insurance Coverages
When you browse through your policy, you may see certain coverages and wonder exactly what they are, and why they’re on your policy.
Let us clarify a few of the more important ones for you:
Collision Coverage — this is the part of your policy that covers your car in the event you damage the car itself somehow, as a result of an accident with a fixed or moving object like another car, a curb, a house, a guard rail, etc..
Comprehensive Coverage — this coverage also protects your car, but in the event that something else damages your car, that is not a fixed, or moving object. For example, theft, a rock that cracks your windshield while you’re driving on the highway, an animal you might hit, and so on.
Property Damage — suppose you damage someones car in an accident, or a guard rail, house, or some other property that belongs to someone else. This is the part of your policy that compensates the other person for that damage
Bodily Injury Liability — this coverage protects your financial interest in the event you injure another party in an accident. This is the part of your policy that pays that other party for their medical bills and related expenses. Due to the high cost of medical care, it’s dangerous to carry liability limits that are too low. This is something we can help you decide on.
Un-insured & Under-insured Liability — this coverage pays you, in the event that you are injured by another party, and that other party was either unidentified, or they weren’t carrying a high enough limit of Bodily Injury Liability to cover your expenses. This is also a very important part of your auto policy because you have zero control over how much insurance other people are driving around with.
Common Auto Insurance Rating Variables
Age — insurance companies use your age in their overall rating algorithms. Drivers who are under 25, and over 65 typically don’t get preferred rates because statistics show that those two age demographics have the most loss frequency and are therefore more at risk for financial loss due to an auto accident
Credit — credit is a metric that has been used in insurance scoring for many years. The better your credit, the more favorable your rates will usually be
Car — the type of car, engine size, safety features, etc.. are all part of determining the rate
Driving History — your driving record and loss history plays a substantial role in the price. If you have a spotty driving history, or multiple moving violations or accidents, chances are, you won’t get a preferred rate until those things are at least 3 years old
Household — insurance companies underwrite at the household level, meaning they try to judge based on the entire household, what the probability of loss will be. If there are multiple drivers in the house who are under the age of 25, that will impact everyone’s pricing in the household
How to get started with your quotes
If you live in Winston-Salem and are looking for a car insurance comparison, Alliance Insurance Services makes the process of finding a competitive company and price easy.
We do all the heavy lifting for you!
To get started, call our office directly, or click the button below to get started online.