California, like all states, requires every driver to carry auto insurance on all of the vehicles they own and operate. Onlineautoinsurance.com can provide you with auto insurance quotes instantly without the need for your driver’s license number or social security number. By reviewing these quotes you can make sure you’re getting the best coverage at the lowest price. If you’re a California resident, you can purchase your policy on our site and have proof of insurance immediately.
By law, each driver in California is to carry the minimum required amount in their auto insurance policy. This amount is in place to help you, the policyholder, or other members of your policy, pay for the damages that were caused by you and/or your vehicle in the event of an accident. These minimum amounts or coverage do not pay for your injuries or vehicle damage. This is an entirely separate coverage from the minimums that you must purchase on your policy. The minimum amounts are non-negotiable; they are set for every driver in California regardless of the driver’s income status. The minimum auto insurance requirements for California are a 15/30/5 policy, otherwise known as:
* $15,000 Liability Bodily Injury per person
* $30,000 Liability Bodily Injury per accident
* $5,000 Property Damage Coverage
Note that this coverage is by law the minimum you can carry, but you are permitted to carry as much as the insurance company will allow. In the event of a car accident where you are the driver at-fault, this money goes towards the expenses to repair the other vehicle and also goes towards medical expenses of the driver and any passengers of the vehicle that may be involved. You will see the significance of carrying only the minimum amounts as you read further. It is best to understand the definition of the required coverage so you know what is expected of you as a driver in California.
Liability Bodily Injury
All states (not just California) require this coverage in two forms; one amount per person and one amount per accident. Bodily injury liability covers the other driver’s injuries, pain and suffering, loss of wages, and any death costs. In California with the minimum amount set at $15,000 per person, the at-fault driver’s insurance company is responsible to pay up to $15,000 for those costs per person. If the costs exceed $15,000 per person, you can be held personally responsible to pay for the difference. The insurance company will pay up to $30,000 for these injuries for all passengers in the car found not at-fault, and again, if the cost exceeds $30,000, you could be held personally responsible to pay for the difference. The most common ways to get these expenses paid is through the process of being sued or settling out of court.
Property Damage Coverage
Property Damage Coverage applies to any property that is damaged by your car. For example, in California if you or a family member who is on your policy mistakenly backs into a fence, pole, building, etc, this insurance coverage will pay for the expenses of that structure, up to $5,000. There is no coverage provided for your vehicle in this case, and you will be financially responsible for those repairs. You will also be held financially responsible for any expenses done to the structure that surpass $5,000. This coverage also helps with any legal fees from possible court expenses.
We’re based out of Southern California and we know the details of the state requirements. If you need additional help to understand, contact onlineautoinsurance.com from 10AM to 6 PM at (800) 527-7225. If you’d prefer face-to-face contact, we do have brick and mortar locations throughout the area where you could make an appointment and come speak with us.
California, with its higher cost of living, continues to attract a more expensive taste. Although the social classes do vary throughout the state, some places have pricy cars and expensive structures. It would be tragic for anyone to accidentally damage or destroy a piece of property worth a far greater amount than the insurance you carry. It’s not sound advice to skimp on your liabilities. Adequate auto insurance in California is very important as you could be easily sued to make up the expenses for any damages you create.
In thinking about the expensive nature of California and the small minimal amount of bodily injury liability and property damage liability, it’s easy to see that the minimum requirements are not enough to help protect you from being required to pay out of pocket if you did indeed cause damage. It is recommended by some experts to carry 100/300/50, meaning $100,000 minimum for bodily injury per person, $300,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $50,000 for property damage. These numbers are more inline with the cost of the higher-class areas and could provide excellent coverage for you. You can get a quote for this amount here at onlineautoinsurance.com to see how much this would cost you.
There are other types of coverage you can purchase for your policy that will give you more financial protection when involved in an accident or other property damage is done involving your vehicle. Some of them to consider are comprehensive, collision, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and personal injury protection. In addition to other coverage, these provide a variety of means to keep you protected from being forced to pay for damages out-of-pocket.
Comprehensive coverage will cover your vehicle no matter who or what the caused the damage. Whether it was vandalism or an earthquake, damaged caused by persons or acts of God are covered through comprehensive. With events such as earthquakes, floodings, mudslides, and fires that occur in parts of California, paying on your policy for comprehensive may save you money in the end as it keeps you from having to replace the car in these tragedies.
Collision coverage will ensure the insurance company pays for your vehicle repairs when it has been damaged from a collision with another vehicle. The minimum requirement of property damage you carry does not apply towards repairing your vehicle; it’s only applied towards the other vehicle. So, if you want your vehicle covered in an accident, collision is something to look into.
Accidents involving uninsured/underinsured motorists are more frequent than you would think. Carrying this coverage will protect you if one of these motorists causes damage to you or your car. Your insurance company will be obligated to take on these vehicular or medical expenses when you carry this coverage.
Personal injury protection works similar to the way your health insurance would work. Any medical expenses experienced by you and/or your passengers will be covered by your auto insurance policy through this coverage. It is something to consider if you frequently host a carpool carrying a handful of passengers or if you do not have adequate health insurance.
Your California auto insurance is an important purchase for you to make and we are here to help you find the best price. At Onlineautoinsurance.com we strive to provide you with accurate information that will help your auto insurance purchase be as easy as possible. Our goal is to help you find the cheapest California car insurance to fit your budget, as well as the right coverage to ease your mind while you’re on the road. Be sure to check out our learning center for auto insurance terms and definitions, guides and articles on auto insurance. Don’t forget about our brick and mortar locations where we can provide our help in person.
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