Car insurance is a financial benefit that will help drivers impacted by wrecks and other vehicle hazards recover from their losses. If you encounter an unexpected problem with your vehicle, then you will be able to file a claim on your auto policy for the value of your losses. If your policy covers the loss in question, then your plan will pay you a settlement to assist you with the recovery costs.

Auto insurance policies are incredibly diverse, and you’ll receive the best protection when you customize your plan to your advantage.

Some of the coverage that you will likely need includes:

• Liability Insurance: When an accident is deemed your fault, this coverage help you pay for the damage you do to others (such as other drivers) who weren’t in the car with you.
• Bodily Injury Liability Coverage: This plan pays for third-party medical bills and sometimes for death benefits.
• Property Damage Liability Coverage: This pays for damage to the other party’s property.
• Collision Insurance: This covers damage to your own vehicle that you sustained in a wreck.
• Comprehensive Insurance: This coverage pays for damage from non-accident mishaps, such as weather damage, fires, theft, vandalism or similar accidents.
• Medical Payments Coverage/Personal Injury Protection: If you get hurt in an accident, this coverage can pay for your medical bills. It sometimes will cover other losses, like lost income.
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Insurance: This insures you against damage caused by someone else who doesn’t have appropriate liability coverage. If you are the victim of a hit-and-run, for example, then this coverage can pay for your car’s damage.

You can further customize your policy with benefits like:

• Roadside assistance
• Rental car reimbursement
• Custom parts coverage
• Replacement cost vehicle coverage
• Vanishing deductibles
• Gap insurance

By law, all Iowa drivers are required to carry the following minimum liability coverage limits:

• $20,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person
• $40,000 bodily injury liability coverage per accident
• $15,000 property damage liability coverage

These are only the minimum liability coverage limits that you must have to remain a legal driver. You can increase these limits, and our agents are happy to help you determine how to customize your policy to your advantage.

No driver is exempt from Iowa’s mandatory auto insurance laws. You must have coverage in place as soon as you become a licensed driver. You might be able to receive coverage through:

• A stand-alone auto policy
• A multi-car insurance policy, which is a benefit for families who have multiple drivers and vehicles to insure
• A non-owner liability plan that will offer you liability insurance even if you do not own a vehicle

If you finance your car, then you might also have to buy collision, comprehensive and gap insurance through your financer’s requirements.

By always carrying auto coverage, you will both give yourself essential protection and lower your overall risks as a driver. If you commit to being a safe driver, then you are more likely to continue to be eligible for favorable insurance premiums and coverage choices well into the future.