Car Insurance Basics

Before you find car insurance quotes online, you'll want to get a better idea of what you're shopping for and what coverages you need. We've compiled this helpful guide to inform your decision.

The Basic Coverages of a Car Insurance Policy

When you see quotes on car insurance premiums, the number you see is actually the total of many separate premiums. The following coverages usually come standard and comprise a basic car insurance policy.

• Medical payments. If you or your passengers are injured in a collision, this is the coverage that protects you. Medical payments coverage will pay for reasonable and necessary medical treatments. This coverage applies irrespective of fault in the accident.
• Underinsured & uninsured driver. The number of underinsured and uninsured drivers on the road these days is staggering and poses a huge threat to you and your financial well-being. This is why underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage is so important. If you were in an accident involving an uninsured or underinsured driver, this coverage would pay for the bodily injuries of you and your passengers and, usually, any property damage incurred as well.
• Bodily injury liability. If you have an accident for which you are legally liable, this covers you if you injure or kill another person in the accident. This coverage is especially important because it also usually covers legal expenses if you are sued by another person in the accident. Without such coverage, you risk losing valuable assets in a lawsuit judgment.
• Collision. If you hit another vehicle or object or are hit by a vehicle/object, this covers replacement of or repairs to your car. The amount you will be reimbursed is determined by the cash value of your car, so this coverage might not be worth carrying if you drive an older vehicle.
• Property damage liability. If you cause damage to someone else's property with your vehicle, this covers those expenses.
• Comprehensive. This coverage protects you from any damage that happens to your car from events besides accidents. These events include vandalism, fire, theft, and weather damage, to name a few.
• Rental reimbursement & optional. Rental reimbursement gives you money for the cost of a rental car so you are not without transportation while your car is being replaced or repaired after a covered accident. There are many other optional coverages you can include in your policy, like towing protection (pays the cost of towing expenses) or stereo protection (reimburses you for sound system theft).

Take a look at some of the other questions that people just like you have asked us about car insurance quotes.