jacksonville automobile insurance

6 common car insurance misconceptions

1. Red cars cost more to insure than other colors

Do red cars cost more to insure? While there’s a rumor floating around that red cars will cost you more, the car’s color is not a factor in how your insurance is calculated. The make and model of a car will affect it, but not the color. 

2. The more expensive the car, the more it costs to insure

Car insurance definitions

Actual cash value (ACV)

The value of a car considering the age, mileage, make, model, and overall condition of the vehicle.

Appraisal

An estimate of the value of a vehicle or property, or the extent of damage from an accident at the time of loss. Usually conducted by an impartial appraiser.

Bodily injury liability coverage

Pays damages for injury or death resulting from a covered accident for which you are at fault. May also provide you with funds for a legal defense. 

Carrier

What happens if your insurance lapses?

Legal requirements

Most states require some level of auto liability insurance. This is the coverage that pays for the other person’s medical needs or property damage from an accident, if you’re at fault. So if you own a car and you’ve allowed the liability insurance on it to lapse, you might be violating the law – even if the car is parked and not driven. If you drive the vehicle and cause an accident without being covered, you’ll be cited and subjected to stiff fines or worse.

Financial consequences

Car Insurance Terms

In order to understand what your car insurance company is really telling you, you need the right terminology. All of those big words that they use on your policy and when they discuss how much you have to pay won't help you at all if you don't know what they mean. You need to understand not only the terminology but the different kinds of insurance that you can get, too. That way you'll get what you need at a price that you can afford, and you won't find that you aren't covered for something you thought that you had coverage for in the event of an accident, theft, or other problem.

Commercial vs. Business & Personal Auto Insurance

Cracked Windshields

Comprehensive Insurance Covers a Cracked Windshield

Even if it’s a tiny crack, you need to get it fixed – small cracks rarely stay small. The good news is that any comprehensive policy should cover auto glass repair or even windshield replacement, as long as the crack was from a covered event. Depending on your policy, windshield repair (rather than replacement) might not cost you anything, so check with your insurance company or agent before doing anything.

How to Remember Facts After Car Accident

Anyone who’s ever been in a car accident is familiar with the feelings that come immediately after – shock, shakiness, accelerated heart rate and mental fog. This is how the body responds after a traumatizing event. With so many thoughts racing through your mind, it’s no wonder the details might be blurry in a matter of hours or days after the car accident.

How to File a Car Insurance Claim