F&Q About Car Insurance Coverage

Posted on behalf of Rizk Law on Sep 12, 2018 in Auto Accident

For the Simple Fact…

  • It is illegal to drive without it.  If this were the only reason to buy it, the cheapest policy would be the best policy.
  • You will need insurance money if you get in an accident.  This is the real reason you need car insurance.  

How Does Car Insurance Work?

  • Oregon minimum policies are $25,000/$50,000 Liability and $15,000 PIP benefits.  
  • Liability pays benefits to people you injure when the accident is your fault.
  • PIP (Personal Injury Protection) pays your medical bills regardless of who caused the accident.
  • If the other driver is at fault and has no insurance or not enough insurance to pay for all of your injuries, your own liability benefits will pay you up to the full amount of your own policy in addition to whatever you get from the bad driver’s policy.

How Much Insurance Do I Need?

  • Liability:  The $25,000 minimum liability policy is fine if you never have anything more than a “fender bender” accident.  Any accident with a broken bone or surgery of any kind will cost a lot more than $25,000. Given the high cost of medical care, the common sense absolute minimum for liability Insurance should be at least $100,000/$300,000.  Rizklaw recommends liability benefits of $250,000/$500,000. Remember, these liability benefits will be there for you if the other driver is uninsured or underinsured and you or someone in your car is injured!

PIP: The $15,000 minimum “Personal Injury Protection” benefit is fine if you never have any injury more serious than a neck strain or a low back strain.  Doctor bills for anything more serious will exceed $15,000 and in such cases debt collectors will soon be calling. Medical costs are high and getting higher, the today’s absolute minimum should be at least $25,000.  Rizklaw, Personal Injury Lawfirm, recommends a minimum PIP benefits of $50,000. Remember, PIP benefits will pay your medical bills even if you are the one who caused the accident!

How Much Will it Cost?

  1. Minimum Policy: When you consider how little insurance you get for the cost of a minimum policy, it is way to expensive. When you also consider what it will cost you if you need expensive medical care after an accident and your minimum policy is exhausted, the price of a minimum policy becomes perfectly clear. It is outrageous.

Recommended Policy: The more insurance you buy, the less it costs per dollar of benefit.  Don’t take our word for it. Call any car insurance company or an independent insurance agent and ask them for a price quote on a minimum $25,000/$50,00 policy. Then ask then what it costs for four time as much insurance, $100,000/$3000,000. You will discover that you don’t pay four time as much to get four times as much insurance!