One of the most important insurance decisions you can make is to protect your personal automobile and recreational vehicles this includes joy riders like – trailers, jet skis, ATV’s, snow mobiles, … I think you get the idea.
It is important mainly because it protects the people riding them, as well as, for secondary reasons like – keeping you legal in certain states, helping you pay for repairs to the auto, damages to individuals, and sometimes even full replacement of the vehicle.
If an , and sadly — even when you are extremely careful they still do happen — you need an insurance company you can trust, and one that is a best fit for your needs.
With more than 30 years as an insurance brokerage agency here in Southwestern Michigan, we at have seen many situations where auto owners have multiple properties with multiple vehicles cross the state lines of ,, and and the same cut-rate insurance is supposedly covering everything with equal protection.
The reality is the one types of insurance might be best for one type of vehicle in one state, and not the best option for other type vehicle in another.
For example, if you own a “Classic Car” in Michigan, is by far your best option, but, they would not offer ideal insurance to cover your in Indiana, as well.
Would you know why? It all comes down to coverages within your auto insurance policy. And, the only way to know your coverages is to understand auto insurance terminology and the governing rules of each auto insurance company you are considering as your local Michigan auto insurance partner.
In most states, liability coverage is mandatory, Michigan is one of them.
Michigan requires you to have no-fault car insurance, which covers injuries and damages caused in a car accident regardless of who is at fault. Michigan’s basic no-fault auto insurance includes:
Auto Insurance Term #1: Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Personal Injury Protection covers your medical bills and often lost wages. PIP usually also covers the cost of personal services you most pay someone to do for you as a result of a car accident.
For example, a might be needed if the accident is so bad you can no longer operator your vehicle.
In Michigan, you are given the option of coordinating your health insurance with your PIP coverage. If you do so, your health insurance will pay for your medical bills up to the limits of your health insurance policy first. Your personal injury protection insurance will cover the rest.
Auto Insurance Term #2: Property Protection (PPI)
This coverage will pay up to $1 million for damages to other people’s property such as buildings. PIP will also cover damages to someone’s car if that car was legally parked, but will not cover a moving car that was involved in the accident.
Auto Insurance Term #3: Bodily Injury/Property Damage Liability (BI/PD)
The purpose of mandating no-fault insurance in Michigan is meant to protect you from being sued after an accident unless:
If you are sued after one of the above instances, Residual Bodily Injury/Property Damage Liability (BI/PD) insurance covers your legal liability, up to the limits you select, for damages caused in a covered vehicle accidents.
According to the , the minimum amounts of BI/PD insurance you must carry in Michigan are:
More about BI/PD:
If it is determined that your insurance needs to cover the cost of an accident for which you are sued, most insurance companies will also pay for the who defended you in .
While the first 3 auto insurance terms mentioned so far are required in Michigan, the next 6 insurance coverages are optional in Michigan.
It is important to note, however, if your car is leased or financed, you might be required to buy certain coverage limits in Michigan, as well.
In fact, some , like , even offer extended insurance services for drivers leasing a vehicle.
Auto Insurance Term#4 Collision Insurance
This optional auto insurance add-on in Michigan pays for damages if your vehicle overturns, or if it collides with another vehicle or object.
Collision coverage is subject to a deductible amount that you choose. The most frequently selected amount in Michigan is $500.
Mahar Insurance allows recommends you select a deductible amount that you feel you can comfortably afford — if there is a collision claim on your policy, this will be the amount you will generally be required to pay.
Auto Insurance Term #5 Comprehensive Insurance Coverage
This pays for damage caused by an event other than a car collision, such as fire, theft, vandalism, or ““. In additional, it covers damage from hitting an animal and the cost of a rental if your car is stolen. Comprehensive insurance coverage is optional.
Note: Comprehensive insurance is likewise subject to a deductible, which is most commonly the same as Collision … $500.
Auto Insurance Term #6 Medical Payments
Just as its name sounds, Medical Payments coverage applies no matter who is at fault and covers the cost of reasonable and necessary medical care provided to you as a result of a car accident.
Auto Insurance Term #7 Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist
When you are legally entitled to pay for damages to recover for your bodily injury this coverage comes to the rescue. Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage generally provideswhat you would have received from the other person’s insurance company if that person had insurance.
62% of Michigan drivers are only insured enough to meet minimum legal standards. This coverage typically comes in handy as a protection if the person you caused the damage does not have enough insurance.
Auto Insurance Term #8 Rental Reimbursement
This coverage can only be purchased along with Collison and Comprehensive.
If you buy Rental Reimbursement Insurance coverage, your Michigan auto insurance provider will reimburse you for rental car charges incurred while your vehicle is being repair at a local auto repair shop after a covered accident.
Mahar Insurance recommends you allow take your vehicle to an auto repair shop approved by your Michigan vehicle insurance company.
Auto Insurance Term #9 Roadside Assistance
Many times if you lease or finance a vehicle your many company like will help you “Go Further” with their own Roadside Assistance programs.
For other types of vehicle ownership, this coverage will cover the cost of labor incurred at the place where your automobile becomes disabled as a result of a mechanical / electrical breakdown, dead battery, flat tire, and/or lock-out.
Some insurance companies, like Progressive Insurance will help you if you run out of gas, run low on some type of engine fuel, or become stuck in some of the famous deep Michigan snow / mud within 100 feet of a road.
If necessary, Roadside Assistance will cover towing to the nearest qualified repair facility.
We hope this helped clarify things a bit, but, the reality is this are just the basic auto insurance terms.
If you are confused a bit, please don’t feel bad. We have been at this for 3 decades, and every once in a way there is a tricky situation — that even challenges the best auto insurance agents.
One thing, we really hope you realize is that no single auto insurance company can mean the demands and needs of every Michigan resident driver.
In fact, this is the chief reason why Mahar Insurance offers several different auto insurance brands to its clients, [ mainly in Southwestern Michigan ].
The we work with most frequently in Michigan are:
We particularly like working with America Modern Insurance because they offer Michigan car collector’s an agreed value total loss settlement.
Before the policy activates, you as the classic car’s owner, their underwriters, and the Mahar Insurance team agree on the car’s value and insure it for that amount.
In the event of a total loss, that agreed upon value is the payout amount. The deductible of course applies, but there is no depreciation and no misunderstanding.
Best of all, as one of top Michigan auto insurance agents / insurance brokers, we can help you choose the right for your auto, so you can go out and enjoy the drive while Mahar Insurance takes care of the paperwork!
There’s also a noticeable “FLO” in how you shop for, buy and own an auto insurance policy.
We recommend you leverage the relationship, Mahar Insurance has as a / insurance brokerage agency to experience the difference immediately—and continue to, the longer you’re working with us.
We are a Safeco Premier Partner agency, meaning we have a track record of success with SafecoInsurance and exhibit an exceptional level of commitment to all our customers. To learn more about Safeco Insurance.
Yes, protecting the ones you love, and being a legal driver in Michigan can be expensive. Fortunately, they are things you can do to minimize the costs. Here’s a few:
Well that is all for today. We hope you found this lengthy, yet important article informative and helpful. Should you have any question related to auto insurance terms, vehicle insurance policies, or simply would like a FREE review of your current policy to insure it is best for you, please .