How Passengers In A Car Are Covered By Auto Insurance
When you look for an auto insurance quote, it's important to think of all of the potential costs of a major accident and how your insurance policy would help you to cover them. This includes comprehensive and collision coverage, which help you to cover costs to your own car, and property damage liability which covers costs to another person's property for an accident in which you're at fault. However, many drivers don't spend enough time thinking about passenger insurance coverage. Carrying enough insurance to cover the potential costs of hospitalization and treatment for your passengers is absolutely essential to choosing a policy.
If you're involved in an accident in which you're at fault, there are two types of passenger insurance coverage that might come into play. Bodily injury liability pays for costs for the other driver, and under certain circumstances, it pays for damages to that driver's passengers. Personal injury protection is what you'll need to pay for the costs of your own vehicle's passengers. It's an essential form of coverage, and it's actually legally required in no-fault car insurance states. Regardless of the state that you live in, you'll be liable for injuries to your own passengers in an accident, and if you're not at fault, personal injury protection can still be an incredibly helpful form of passenger insurance coverage.
Personal injury protection varies a bit from one insurance company to the next, so it's a good idea to read your policy or your auto insurance quote to determine how the coverage works. It's worth noting that personal injury protection also pays for your own hospitalization and medical bills, unless your health insurance would normally cover those costs - even if you're involved in an accident in which you aren't driving, and under many insurance policies, even if you're a pedestrian. Talk to your insurance agent and ask about which types of coverage you need to protect your passengers financially. Ask about personal injury protection and liability coverage. Know how absolutely all of the costs of an accident will be handled by your insurance policy.
It's important to take your time when selecting an auto insurance quote and to know how your coverage works and what you need. If you rarely carry passengers, you may not need personal injury protection, but always buy the insurance coverage required by your state and look into additional options that can keep your risks low. No driver likes to consider the cost of a major accident, but that's the point of a great car insurance policy.
