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car accident insurance

Purchasing the Right Auto Insurance

Madison Personal Injury Lawyer recommends an auto insurance review

Wisconsin, like almost every other state, requires drivers to carry liability auto insurance. This includes a minimum coverage level of $10,000 for property damage, $25,000 for injury or death to one person, and $50,000 for injury or death of more than one person. While this covers the minimum state requirement, it’s probably not enough for you. Most people are horribly underinsured. Understanding your own needs is essential to getting the right coverage to protect you.

Coverage Limits

The minimum requirements help cover costs if you cause an accident in your vehicle. But there is no guarantee this will be enough. In Wisconsin, vehicle accidents cost $692 million just in losses due to death in 2015. And if you do not have enough insurance to pay for the property damage, medical costs, or other liabilities, you will be on the hook for anything beyond your insurance limits.

Further, your liability coverage does not pay for any damage to your own vehicle. You will need to purchase collision coverage to protect yourself in those instances.

Collision and Comprehensive Coverage

Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle after a crash with another vehicle regardless of fault. Comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your vehicle from anything else, including the following:

  • hitting an animal
  • fire
  • having a rock chip your windshield
  • theft
  • vandalism
  • other non-crash damages.

You will usually have to pay a deductible before the insurance covers the rest of the damage.

Importantly, if you are financing a vehicle, your lender usually requires you to carry comprehensive and collision coverage. Your insurer will often pay the claim and then pursue reimbursement from the other driver or his or her insurer if the other driver is at fault.

Getting the right insurance can help protect you from financial catastrophe after an accident. If you do not carry insurance, or if you have less than you need, you should check into an auto insurance review to make sure you are covered.