What auto insurance coverage?

Car insurance is required, but it is also helpful not only for car owners, but all drivers. In the event of breakdowns, accidents or other emergency, car insurance helps reduce costs for repair and damage.

Single Vehicles

Auto insurance often covers repair costs to the owner's car. For single-vehicle incidents, this can take the worry out of fixing damage. Windshields, for example, are often the victims of bouncing rocks and flying debris through no fault of the driver. Simply driving down the highway, objects can come from tractor-trailers, uncovered dump trucks, shattered sheets of ice or loose loads. Once they hit the windshield, dings, spider webs or cracks form. With extreme temperatures, these tiny cracks can become large ones running across the entire expanse of the windshield in less than a day. At this point, the damage affects the driver's ability to see clearly and the stability of the windshield is compromised.

No Fault

Although insurance is required, sometimes people are involved in accidents with drivers that have no insurance and sometimes don't even have a driver's license. No matter whose fault it is, in times like these, the insured driver may need to make a claim in order to get the vehicle repaired. Dents may affect the stability of the car's frame or the soundness of the tire. Punctures or bent rims that are not fixed will result in blow-outs or flat tires and loss of control over the vehicle, especially at high speeds.

Routine or Preventive Maintenance

Depending on the type of car insurance a person has, maintaining a vehicle before it has problems may be covered by a person's insurance. This includes discounts or reduced co-pays for things like oil changes, tune-ups and tire replacement. Consumers should check with local businesses to determine whether these benefits are available. A phone call to the insurance broker will also verify whether the insurance plan will give a break to motorists that take good care of their vehicles.

Legal Fees

Depending on the type of insurance a person has, legal fees may be partially covered by an auto insurance policy. This may include bail or other costs associated with tickets, trials and legal infractions. When accidents involve tickets or police charges, the insured motorist may be covered for all or part of it, depending on the policy.

Anytime there is a cost associated with an insured vehicle, it is best for the consumer to consult their insurance agent or review the policy to see whether it covered. Although making a claim on the policy may involve an increase on monthly or annual insurance rates, this is often counterbalanced by the overall cost of the repairs or fees.