Understanding Texas comprehensive car insurance and finding the right Texas car insurance policy for you is simple when you know what to look for. Whether you are a long time resident, or you have just moved into the state, you can save time and money when you weigh the pros and cons of different comprehensive car insurance policies in TX.
The information below will help you weight the merits of several different Texas comprehensive car insurance coverage options before deciding which is right for you.
Once you are finished reading the article then be sure and use our free quote comparison tool to compare policies from top insurance companies online.
Texas Comprehensive Car Insurance Coverage
Comprehensive Coverage (Physical Damage Other than Collision) pays for damage to or loss of your car from causes other than accidents, such as hail, flood, fire, and theft or vandalism.
One of the requirements of driving in Texas is proving that you have the financial ability to pay for any accidents that you are found liable for. Liability insurance is meant for this specific occurrence.
Adding collision and comprehensive insurance is a good way to protect your budget in the event of accidents on the road or otherwise, and from damage other people do to your vehicle.
Explanations Of Texas Comprehensive Car Insurance Coverage Requirements
Liability Insurance which covers accidents that are caused you. It pays for injuries to the other party and damages to the other vehicle. There are minimum liability limits required by law of :
- $20,000 for each injured person, up to a total of
- $40,000 per accident, and
- $15,000 for property damage per accident
There is change on the horizon which will take effect as of April 2008. At this time Texans will be required to carry:
- $25,000 for each injured person, up to
- $50,000 per accident, and
- $25,000 for property damage
Collision Coverage pays for your vehicle damage regardless of who caused it. The insurance company pays for the either repairs or actual cash value, depending upon your policy. Of course, you must pay the deductible before the company pays anything.
What if you’re hit by a driver who doesn’t have insurance? There’s good chance that injuries and repairs will be higher than another driver’s liability coverage when they cause your accident. This is why you need Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage.
You will probably want to have Medical Payments & Personal Injury Protection (PIP) . The benefits of this coverage includes:
- Partial payment towards medical and funeral expenses
- Lost income benefits
Towing & Labor Coverage can save you a lot of unexpected expenses if you drive an older car.
Rental Reimbursement Coverage is great if you need to get to work when your car is in the shop and a car is the only way to get there.
Things To Know Before You Shop For Texas Comprehensive Insurance
Drivers with clean records get the best rates, and insurance companies will check your driving record.
SUVs, luxury vehicles, and certain sports cars will cost you more. Some companies won’t even insure sports cars which means you need to choose your car carefully and budget accordingly.
Older drivers and young drivers can have a hard time getting a new policy from some insurance companies. Keep your driving record clean to make finding new policies easier.
If you can’t get insurance from any company and you have really shopped around, you may qualify for insurance under the Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association (TAIPA). TAIPA provides basic liability insurance, personal injury protection, and UM/UIM coverage to drivers rejected by insurance companies. It does not cover your car against theft, damage, or destruction.
Saving Money On Your Texas Comprehensive Auto Insurance Policy
Savings you can ask for include discounts for non-smokers, long-time customers,multiple policies with the same company such as your auto insurance, and smokeor burglar alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and other protection from damage such as sprinkler systems.
Other discounts available may include:
- Taking a course on defensive driving
- Installing safety devices like airbags
- Multiple cars on one policy
- Senior discounts
- Clean driving record
- Longevity with the same insurer
- Good grade discounts for students
Compare Several Policies from different companies. Insurance companies are competing for your business, and that means that the choice of the best policy for you and your home is really up to you!
Safe Drivers with clean driving records can get better deals from low-risk insurers than from high-risk insurers. There are three types of companies offering Texas Comprehensive Auto Insurance.
- Preferred companies offer the lowest rates.
- Standard companies offer rates that are higher than preferred companies but lower than non-standard companies.
- Non-standard companies almost always have the highest rates.
Buy Only The Coverage You Need If your car is older or high mileage you can lower your deductible and your collision and comprehensive coverage. Remember to add checking your coverage to your yearly calendar. As your car ages, your costs of insuring it can drop significantly. If you are paying more in insurance than the replacement cost of your vehicle you are probably paying too much.
Don’t Duplicate Your Auto Club Coverage. If you belong to an auto club you may already have towing and rental car coverage. Compare the benefits on your auto club coverage to your Texas auto insurance policy so you don’t pay for the same thing twice.
For Drivers Who Have Been In TAIPA For Three Years and have no tickets or accidents, you should qualify for the Texas Automobile Insurance Plan (TAIPA) Take-Out Plan. An insurance company must remove you from TAIPA and insure you at a lower rate. To find out about TAIPA go to www.taipa.org or use our free quote comparison tool at the top of the page to compare quotes from multiple companies and then speak with a local Texas auto insurance agent.
Texas Bill of Rights for Consumers Texas has a Consumer Bill of Rights for auto insurance. If you have any problems with your insurance, be sure to read up on your rights.
Texas Comprehensive Car Insurance Average Costs
In 2005, drivers in Texas paid anywhere from $700 per year to over $2000 per year depending on each driver’s record, location and vehicle use.
Select Texas Comprehensive Auto Insurance Companies
- AIG
- Allstate
- GEICO
- Hartford
- Liberty Mutual
- Metropolitan
- National
- Nationwide
- Safeco
- State Farm
- Traveler’s
- USAA
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