Car Insurance Calculator

Consumer car insurance is the most common type of auto insurance among Americans. Whether if you drive a 2-door sports car, a 4-door sedan vehicle, a 4WD SUV, or a family Van, it is required by law, in most of the states across the United States, to have sufficient car insurance coverage before drivers are permitted to drive on the road.

InsuranceCalculator.net partners with major insurance companies who provide car insurance throughout the United States. "We help drivers to find and compare car insurance quotes in a matter of seconds, allowing them to find the best coverage at the lowest rates," said Eric, CEO of InsuranceCalculator.net.

Types of Car Insurance Coverage

There are 5 different types of car insurance coverage in the United States. While liability coverage is mandatory in most of the states throughout the United States, getting more than just liability coverage may be a good idea depending on the needs and circumstances of the insured driver. Do keep in mind that the more coverage you need, the higher premium you will need to pay.

1. Liability Coverage - This type of coverage is the minimum for all drivers throughout the United States. Liability coverage will protect any third party involved in a car accident with you. (You being the first party, insurance company being the second party, and any other individuals involved in an accident with you are the third party.) There are two types of liability coverage - bodily injury liability and property damage liability.

  • Bodily Injury Liability - In an at-fault accident, the insurance company will pay for all the medical expenses for the third party individual involved in an accident.
  • Property Damage Liability - In an at-fault accident, your insurance company will pay for all the damage done to the third party's vehicle. Damage done to any third party properties (houses, backyards) will also be covered in this type of coverage.

There are cases where you are convicted by court order to be liable even though you are not. There are many types of car accident fraud and staged car accidents. Learn how to protect yourself in a car accident.

2. Collision Coverage - This type of coverage provides financial coverage for any damage to your vehicle in an at-fault or not-at-fault accident. During the claim process, the insured individual will be required to pay a small and fixed amount called the deductible. This amount is pre-set in the insurance policy. By raising the deductible, one can lower the insurance premium. Changing deductibles is one of the common strategies to lower the cost on car insurance.

3. Comprehensive Coverage - This type of coverage provides coverage for the insured vehicle against natural disasters, theft, and vandalism. To break it down further, comprehensive coverage takes effect when:

  • Your vehicle is stolen
  • Your vehicle is damaged by flood
  • Your vehicle is damaged by fire
  • Your vehicle is damaged from hitting an animal, or vice versa when your vehicle is hit by animals
  • Your vehicle is damaged from intentional or accidental vandalism such as smashing on windshield
  • Your vehicle is damaged by tornado, hail, blizzard, earthquake, tsunami, or any other type of natural disaster

If you park your vehicle outside, or if you have a vehicle that has high theft rate, it is a smart choice to purchase comprehensive insurance coverage. Similar to collision coverage, the policy holder will be required to pay a set amount of deductible before the insurer pays for the necessary repairs.

4. High Risk Driver Coverage - This type of coverage is designed for young drivers and individuals with poor driving record. Premiums for high risk drivers will be expensive and there's no way around it. If you need to operate a vehicle to commute to work, then you have to pay to stay insured.

Types of High Risk Drivers

  • Individuals between the age of 16 and 21
  • Individuals with one or more at-fault accident within the past 3 years
  • Individuals with more than 2 traffic violation tickets (e.g. speeding) within the past 3 years
  • Individuals who had their driver license suspended once or more within the past 7 years due to major violations (e.g. drink and drive, reckless driving)
  • Individuals who have used their vehicles for illegal activities within the past 7 years

There are many insurance companies throughout the United States who will not provide coverage for high risk drivers. The good news is, some of them do provide coverage but with high premiums. The best way to handle this situation is to go for joint policy, having an experienced driver with good record as the primary driver.

5. Underinsured and Uninsured Motorist Coverage - Even though it is required by law in the United States to have liability coverage before one is permitted to drive on the road, there are occurrences where one party does not have any insurance at all.

  • Uninsured Motorist Coverage - If you are involved in a not-at-fault accident where the third party driver does not have liability coverage, uninsured motorist coverage will provide the financial coverage you need for your medical bills and health-related expenses.
  • Underinsured Motorist Coverage - If you are involved in a not-at-fault accident where the third party driver has insufficient liability coverage, underinsured motorist coverage will provide the difference in financial coverage you need for your medical bills and health-related expenses.

According to USA Census (source: census.gov), every single year, more than 14% of all accidents involve drivers without any insurance coverage or with insufficient insurance coverage.

Car Insurance In Different States

Each and every state throughout the United States has different set of rules and regulations on car insurance. Select your state blow to learn more about car insurance in your state:

Save on Car Insurance with our Innovative Insurance Calculator

At InsuranceCalculator.net, we aim to help consumers maximize their savings on car insurance by providing them with as much opportunities to compare as possible. With our free insurance calculator, you will be able to find and compare quotes from multiple eligible insurance providers within a 10-mile radius of your location in seconds. By submitting your ZIP code, our back-end engine will accurately identify your location, connect with eligible providers in your area, obtain and display quotes on your screen. "We help you to save both time and money during the quotes comparison process," said Eric, CEO of InsuranceCalculator.net.

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