Car Insurance Lake Charles, Louisiana
Cost-effective car insurance to protect you and your family, including young drivers.
Vehicle insurance (also known as car insurance, auto insurance, truck insurance, and motorcycle insurance) is insurance for the financial protection of motor vehicles, drivers, and passengers against physical damage or bodily injury resulting from an auto collision and the liability that can arise from incidents in a vehicle.
In addition, car insurance can offer financial protection against theft of the vehicle and damage the vehicle may sustain from events other than car accidents, such as weather-related or natural disasters, vandalism, and damage from hitting stationary objects. The precise legal definition of vehicle insurance varies slightly from region to region.
You may be surprised to learn that the first car insurance policy was written in 1897 before there were even licensing laws. Insurance has been around for over 100 years but only became mandatory, and only in Connecticut, in 1925. Most other states didn’t require car insurance until the mid-1950s.
Presently, 48 states (and the District of Columbia) require proof of insurance to register and operate a vehicle.
Why purchase car insurance?
Accidents are expensive. According to recent data, auto accident expenses run an estimated $871 million a year. Fatal accidents total around $44.4 billion. Without insurance companies’ resources (think funds, lawyers, and adjusters), a single at-fault accident by an uninsured driver could cause life-altering financial devastation.
In addition, car insurance can offer financial protection against theft of the vehicle and damage the vehicle may sustain from events other than car accidents, such as weather-related or natural disasters, vandalism, and damage from hitting stationary objects. The precise legal definition of vehicle insurance varies slightly from region to region.
You may be surprised to learn that the first car insurance policy was written in 1897 before there were even licensing laws. Insurance has been around for over 100 years but only became mandatory, and only in Connecticut, in 1925. Most other states didn’t require car insurance until the mid-1950s.
Presently, 48 states (and the District of Columbia) require proof of insurance to register and operate a vehicle.
Why purchase car insurance?
Accidents are expensive. According to recent data, auto accident expenses run an estimated $871 million a year. Fatal accidents total around $44.4 billion. Without insurance companies’ resources (think funds, lawyers, and adjusters), a single at-fault accident by an uninsured driver could cause life-altering financial devastation.
What does an Car Insurance Policy include?
Your policy can include six individual coverages, price separately.
1. Bodily Injury Liability
This coverage applies to injuries that the designated driver or policyholder cause to another. The policyholder, additional persons listed on the policy, or someone driving the insured vehicle with the policyholders permission are covered.
Sufficient liability insurance is essential if you (or another allowed driver) are involved in a severe accident, you can and will likely be sued for damages above policy limits. State-required minimum insurance does not protect personal assets such as your home and savings.
2. Medical Payments or Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
PIP coverage will pay for the medical treatment of the driver and passengers of the policyholder's car. PIP can cover the medical treatment cost, lost income due to recovery, and replacement cost of services generally performed by someone injured in an auto accident. In addition, it can cover funeral costs.
3. Property Damage Liability
Property Damage Liability covers the damage you (or someone driving your car with your permission) cause to an innocent party's property. This usually means damage to another's car, truck or SUV, but can also include damage to a lamp post, utility pole, fence, building, or another structure your car hits.
4. Collision
Collision insurance pays for damage your car incurs from a collision with another car, an object, or resulting from your car flipping over. It can also cover damage caused by potholes.
5. Comprehensive
Comprehensive coverage compensates you for loss due to theft or damage caused by something other than a collision with an object or vehicle. Examples include falling objects, a fire, explosion, floodwater, hail, vandalism, or hitting an animal, and some policies cover cracked or shattered windshields.
6. Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
UIM will compensate you, a listed family member, or a designated driver if your vehicle is involved in an accident by a hit and run or an uninsured driver.
Underinsured motorist coverage picks up when the at-fault driver has insufficient insurance coverage to pay for your accident.
This coverage applies to injuries that the designated driver or policyholder cause to another. The policyholder, additional persons listed on the policy, or someone driving the insured vehicle with the policyholders permission are covered.
Sufficient liability insurance is essential if you (or another allowed driver) are involved in a severe accident, you can and will likely be sued for damages above policy limits. State-required minimum insurance does not protect personal assets such as your home and savings.
2. Medical Payments or Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
PIP coverage will pay for the medical treatment of the driver and passengers of the policyholder's car. PIP can cover the medical treatment cost, lost income due to recovery, and replacement cost of services generally performed by someone injured in an auto accident. In addition, it can cover funeral costs.
3. Property Damage Liability
Property Damage Liability covers the damage you (or someone driving your car with your permission) cause to an innocent party's property. This usually means damage to another's car, truck or SUV, but can also include damage to a lamp post, utility pole, fence, building, or another structure your car hits.
4. Collision
Collision insurance pays for damage your car incurs from a collision with another car, an object, or resulting from your car flipping over. It can also cover damage caused by potholes.
5. Comprehensive
Comprehensive coverage compensates you for loss due to theft or damage caused by something other than a collision with an object or vehicle. Examples include falling objects, a fire, explosion, floodwater, hail, vandalism, or hitting an animal, and some policies cover cracked or shattered windshields.
6. Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
UIM will compensate you, a listed family member, or a designated driver if your vehicle is involved in an accident by a hit and run or an uninsured driver.
Underinsured motorist coverage picks up when the at-fault driver has insufficient insurance coverage to pay for your accident.