Chapter 34: Vehicle and Property Insurance

Vehicle Insurance

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Insuring Your Vehicle

  • There are several ways drivers can reduce the risk of financial losses that result from accidents.
    • One way is to buy insurance, paid protection against losses due to injury or property damage.
  • To get insurance, the driver purchases a policy from an insurance company.
  • The company that issues the policy is the insurer, and the buyer of the policy is the policyholder
  • Vehicle insurance offers seven types of protection:
    • bodily injury liability coverage
    • property damage liability coverage
    • collision insurance coverage
    • medical payments coverage
    • comprehensive coverage
    • uninsured/underinsured motorists protection
    • miscellaneous coverage
  • The most basic type of coverage (required by most states) is liability insurance.
    • Liability insurance protects vehicle owners from claims of injury or property damage to others in case they are held responsible for an accident
  • Bodily injury liability insurance covers injuries to someone else.
  • Property damage liability insurance covers damage to another person’s vehicle or other property caused by the insured.
  • Collision insurance covers damage to the policyholder’s vehicle.
    • The maximum amount covered is based on the actual cash value of the policyholder’s vehicle, which is the value of the automobile when it was new minus depreciation.
    • Depreciation is the decline in value of an asset, such as a house, equipment, or a vehicle, because of use.
  • Medical payments coverage is also called personal injury protection.
  • Comprehensive coverage covers damage to a policyholder’s vehicle caused by things other than an auto accident.
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist protection protects drivers from people who cause accidents but cannot pay for the damages.
  • Drivers can add other types of protection to their policies, such as coverage for a rental car.

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Laws on Vehicle Insurance

  • financial responsibility law requires drivers to pay for any damages or injuries they cause in an accident.
  • compulsory insurance law requires drivers to have a minimum amount of car insurance.
  • With no-fault insurance, drivers involved in accidents collect damages from their own insurer no matter who is at fault.

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The Costs of Insurance

  • A claim is a request for payment from an insurer for any damages covered by a policy.
  • The premium an insurance company charges a policyholder covers the policyholder for a limited period of time.
    • The amount of a premium depends on characteristics of the driver and the vehicle, different policy provisions, and other factors.
  • Most collision insurance has a deductible.
    • A deductible is an amount in damages a policyholder must pay before the insurance company pays a claim.

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Property Insurance

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Insuring Your Property

  • The two kinds of property you can insure are real property and personal property.
    • Real property is property attached to land, such as a house, business, garage, or other building.
    • Personal property consists of possessions that can be moved, such as furniture, jewelry, and electronic equipment.
  • Apartment renters can buy renters insurance, which covers loss or damage to a renter’s personal possessions.
  • Many people buy a standard fire policy to insure against damage due to fire or lightning.
  • A policyholder can add other types of protection to this basic policy with extended coverage.
  • Liability insurance protects property owners from the costs of injuries to others on their property.
  • Additional living expenses insurance provides coverage for the cost of renting another place to live if a home is damaged.
  • Business owners can get insurance to cover the costs of damage to or loss of property.

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Homeowners Policies

  • Many insurance companies offer a combination policy with essential protection called a homeowners policy.
    • A homeowners policy covers damage to property and personal property, additional living expenses if a home is destroyed, and liability protection.
    • Homeowners policies do not cover loss from floods, earthquakes, landslides, acts of war, or nuclear hazards.
  • However, riders can be added for them.
    • A rider is an addition to a policy that covers specific property or damages.
  • Insurance companies usually recommend that homeowners insure their home for 80 percent of its market value
  • You can also insure property for either its actual cash value or its replacement value.
    • The actual cash value is the value of the property new minus devaluation from use
    • The replacement value is the full cost of repairing or replacing the property, regardless of the depreciation value
  • Property insurance has many of the same costs as vehicle insurance.

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