What should I consider when purchasing insurance?

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First, you should check out my book, “Straight Talk on Buying Washington Car Insurance”. We all know insurance companies offer a huge variety of car insurance options, each with different benefits. How do you as the consumer decide what you need?

Liability Insurance

Liability insurance is required in Washington state. This kind of coverage will pay for damage to property that you cause and personal injuries that you cause to others when you are at fault for an accident. The minimum amount of liability insurance in Washington is 25,000 dollars.
The bodily injury portion of the coverage (also known as “BI”) pays for medical expenses and wage loss of the people you may injure.

The property damage portion of liability insurance covers repair or replacement of personal property or vehicles damaged as a result of the accident, your car not included.

Collision Insurance

Regardless of who caused the accident, collision coverage will pay for repairs to your vehicle, minus your deductible. Alternatively, if you are not at fault, the other driver’s liability insurance will pay for the repairs to your car. I you have collision, it can speed up the process of getting your car repaired. To lower the price of your monthly payments consider raising the amount of your deductible.

Comprehensive Insurance

Comprehensive coverage protects you from all types of other damage that may occur to your car. However, it only covers property damage. This coverage is important if your car is stolen or damaged in some other non collision way.

Personal Injury Protection

Personal injury protection (PIP) is a no-fault coverage meaning that if you have PIP on your policy, you can receive the benefits regardless of whose fault the accident is. PIP will cover your medical bills as long as they are reasonable, necessary, and caused by the accident. PIP also covers a limited amount of wage loss, personal services, and funeral expenses.

Uninsured/Underinsured Coverage

Uninsured Motorist (UM)/Under Insured Motorist (UIM) coverage pays for your injuries and property damage when you are involved in an accident with someone who is at fault and has no insurance or not enough insurance. This type of coverage is very important. UM/UIM is the only way to protect yourself from a driver who is uninsured or under insured. Essentially, this coverage will pay all the amounts that the person who caused the accident would have had to pay if they had been properly insured.

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