The Difference Between 4×4 Insurance And Regular Car Insurance
August 6, 2009 by Susan Reynolds
Filed under Experts
4×4 owners may wonder why their insurance rates are higher than they are with cars. The fact is that 4×4 vehicles are much different than normal cars and vehicles. They have extra capabilities and features that the insurance company sees as more hazardous. You should know what to expect before you buy a 4×4 vehicle.
While it depends what policy you have, most of the time car insurance is very basic in its coverage. In most cases it will cover the other driver and their vehicle. Other policies include your vehicle and even cover theft or weather damage. 4×4 vehicles are not much different in how they are insured however they are different in what happens in a crash scenario. When a crash happens a 4×4 vehicle will do more damage than a normal car would. Thus it makes your rates increase.
4×4?s will also be subject to higher rates because of their popularity. If you live near the city rates will be higher than normal for vandalism, theft, and other damages. Drivers of 4×4?s in rural areas often do not need this type of coverage, but it will be less expensive if they do get it.
Costs to fix 4×4 trucks and SUVs are much higher than the cost to fix regular vehicles. This is because parts are harder to find and repair. Insurance companies will look at this as an extra cost to insure your vehicle and will charge you more. If you have extra features added to your 4×4 that didn?t come with the stock you will have to get extra insurance to have these repaired in case of an accident. Insurance companies won?t voluntarily pay for these extra add-ons unless your policy specifically covers them.
Off road driving is the biggest difference between 4×4 and regular car insurance. This option lets you take your vehicle off of the road and through other terrains. If you damage your vehicle, which is fairly likely, the damages will only be covered if you have a specific policy with off-road insurance. A standard policy will become void for the time you drive off road, leaving you to pay the damages yourself. Prices will increase if you regularly participate in races or other all-terrain sports with your 4×4. Some people choose to get insurance for these events just for one day to reduce costs.
It?s important to know that as with sports cars 4×4 vehicles will be more expensive naturally when it comes to insurance. The best thing you can do is to compare quotes from various companies and find the lowest rate. You can also greatly reduce the rate of your vehicle by having it just for a recreational vehicle. You will also want to read through the policies that each company offers. This is because some companies will cover some situations while others won?t. If you plan on doing something besides driving your 4×4 vehicle you should ask your insurance agent what they can cover.
Mail this postIs Michigan’s No Fault Auto Insurance Different?
August 1, 2009 by Greg Lietz
Filed under Experts
Michigan auto insurance has a number of differences from car insurance in other locations in the US. No fault insurance is required by law in Michigan, and comes in three major parts: property protection insurance, personal injury insurance, and residual liability, covering property damage and bodily injury. If you need to register your car in this state, you must buy auto insurance in advance and prove you have coverage. Driving without insurance is against the law.
Michigan’s no fault insurance policies provide for full reimbursement of medical costs, and for the money you lose from being injured, up to a three year period. As of 2007, that amount was up to a little over four thousand, five hundred dollars. People who are killed in an accident and have Michigan auto insurance will be paid up to that amount every month for three years, based on the earnings of the person who has died.
In addition, if someone is injured and can’t provide housekeeping or other services for their family, they may be entitled to up to twenty dollars per day to hire other people to do this for them. It’s possible to synchronize this kind of coverage to any disability or health policy you currently have to reduce your premium. However, Medicaid and Medicare policies cannot be synchronized. Synchronized policies then become the primary payer, with your Michigan auto insurance covering remaining expenses.
If you have Michigan no fault insurance, your policy will pay up to a million dollars in damage done by your car to other people’s property, such as fences, buildings, lamp posts and other objects. If you do damage to someone else’s vehicle, and that car is properly parked, this policy will also pay for that damage.
The no fault law for Michigan auto insurance also protects people who are insured under this policy from being sued outside of particular situations. If you cause an accident in which someone else is seriously injured or killed, are involved in an accident with a car not registered in that state, or you’re involved in an accident outside of state, you may be sued.
You could also be sued for up to five hundred dollars worth of damage to another vehicle if you were more than fifty percent at fault in causing the accident. However, when you’re sued or otherwise legally responsible for damages, you’ll receive payment up to your coverage limits from your Michigan no fault auto insurance.
There’s a minimum requirement of twenty thousand dollars worth of coverage for property damage and bodily injury coverage to handle situations where a person is injured or killed in an accident. For accidents where several people are injured or killed, up to forty thousand dollars of coverage is required. To cover property damage that happens outside of Michigan, you’ll need to have up to ten thousand dollars of Michigan auto insurance coverage. Just remember that if the court awards more than this, you’ll be responsible for the excess you need to pay.
Michigan no fault insurance doesn’t cover everything, either. For instance, you don’t have to have insurance available to cover fixing your own car in an accident or when flood damage, theft, vandalism, or other types of non accident damage occur, or for covering uninsured motorist damage. However, this kind of coverage is available as part of Michigan auto insurance, even if not required by law.
Mail this postMichigan’s No Fault Auto Insurance Is A Little Different
July 31, 2009 by Ryan Morelli
Filed under Experts
Michigan auto insurance has a number of differences from car insurance in other locations in the US. No fault insurance is required by law in Michigan, and comes in three major parts: property protection insurance, personal injury insurance, and residual liability, covering property damage and bodily injury. If you need to register your car in this state, you must buy auto insurance in advance and prove you have coverage. Driving without insurance is against the law.
Michigan’s no fault insurance policies provide for full reimbursement of medical costs, and for the money you lose from being injured, up to a three year period. As of 2007, that amount was up to a little over four thousand, five hundred dollars. People who are killed in an accident and have Michigan auto insurance will be paid up to that amount every month for three years, based on the earnings of the person who has died.
If someone is in an accident and his or her injury prevents basic family services from being provided, such as housekeeping, up to twenty dollars per day to hire others to do this for them is also available. You can choose to synchronize your coverage to any existing health or disability policy if you’d like to reduce your premium, as long as it’s not a Medicare or Medicaid policy (these cannot be synchronized). That makes the synchronized policy the primary payer, and the your Michigan auto insurance is responsible for covering what’s left.
If you use Michigan no fault insurance, the policy will pay up to one million dollars for damage you do to fences, railing, buildings, and other types of property belonging to someone else. This policy also pays for damage you do to properly parked cars that belong to other people.
The no fault law for Michigan auto insurance also protects people who are insured under this policy from being sued outside of particular situations. If you cause an accident in which someone else is seriously injured or killed, are involved in an accident with a car not registered in that state, or you’re involved in an accident outside of state, you may be sued.
In addition, if you were more than fifty percent at fault in an accident, you may be sued for up to five hundred dollars in damage to the other car. However, in situations where you’re sued or are legally responsible for damages, your Michigan no fault insurance will pay up to your coverage limits.
There’s a minimum requirement of twenty thousand dollars worth of coverage for property damage and bodily injury coverage to handle situations where a person is injured or killed in an accident. For accidents where several people are injured or killed, up to forty thousand dollars of coverage is required. To cover property damage that happens outside of Michigan, you’ll need to have up to ten thousand dollars of Michigan auto insurance coverage. Just remember that if the court awards more than this, you’ll be responsible for the excess you need to pay.
So what doesn’t Michigan no fault insurance cover? Collision insurance, which covers repairs to your car, is not required. Comprehensive insurance is also not mandated by law, and covers damage to your car if it is stolen, or damaged by fire, flood, animals, vandalism, or falling objects. If you are hit by an uninsured motorist and have not voluntarily purchased coverage for this, you will also not be covered by regular Michigan auto insurance.
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