Auto Insurance

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Auto (car) insurance is designed to help drivers pay for the various costs that can arise from a car accident or other incident (we’re looking at you, deer!). This can include medical expenses for you and others, damage to your vehicle, damage to other vehicles or property involved in the accident, legal expenses, and more.

Your auto insurance policy coverage will depend on the type of policy and coverages you’ve elected. That being said, most standard policies include five basic types of coverage:

• Collision Coverage: This covers damage to your vehicle from a collision, whether your vehicle collides with another vehicle, a tree, or some other structure.
• Comprehensive Coverage: This covers damage to your vehicle from events that are outside of your control, and which typically aren’t related to an accident. This is usually an optional coverage.
• Liability Coverage: This coverage helps pay for damage to other vehicles, property, and other drivers (and their passengers) — as well as legal fees — if you are found to be at fault in an accident. It may sometimes be divided into two types: bodily injury liability and property damage liability.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: This helps pay for medical bills and damage to your vehicle if you are involved in an accident with a driver who either doesn’t carry car insurance or doesn’t carry enough car insurance.
• Medical Payment Coverage: This covers medical bills if you or your passengers are injured during an accident, regardless of who is at fault.

Your policy will outline how much coverage is provided in each of these coverage categories. It will also detail any deductible you may have to meet for each category, as well as any exemptions that you should be aware of.

Auto insurance is required by law and you are legally required to carry a minimum based on the state the vehicle is registered in.  Even so, Wessler Bros. Agency suggests 250/500/250 coverage but at a minimum our agents suggest 100/300/100 coverage. 

Additionally, if there is a lease or loan on the car, you’ll need to verify the lender’s coverage requirements. 

Generally, an auto policy follows the vehicle, not the driver. This means your policy will in most circumstances apply if your vehicle is involved in an accident regardless of who is driving as long as the following criteria is met:

• The driver has a valid driver’s license
• The driver has permission to drive your vehicle
• The driver was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• The driver is not using the vehicle for commercial use
• The driver is not listed as an excluded driver on your policy

We suggest considering these key questions:

• If you’re in an accident, would all of your assets be covered by your liability elections?
• How much of a deductible can you afford to pay out of pocket during a loss?
• If you’re in an accident, will your health insurance pay your medical expenses?
• Is your car’s actual cash value worth the cost of having comprehensive and collision coverage?
• Do you use your vehicle for work (e.g. Door Dash, Uber, or others?
• Do you qualify for discounts or have the ability to bundle policies?
• What are the coverages required by your lease or lender?