What Is Collision Car Insurance?

Immediately following a car accident, you should follow a few steps to improve the chances of getting an insurance claim approved. The first step involves calling 911 to activate the emergency response team. Law enforcement personnel and a team of emergency medical responders arrive at the scene of the auto crash. The responding law enforcement officers conduct a thorough investigation that leads to the filing of a formal police report. One of the items the responding law enforcement officers need to obtain from you is proof of insurance. You open the glove compartment box, retrieve your insurance card, and hand it over to one of the responding law enforcement officers.

Not so fast.

Just because you hand over an insurance card to one of the responding law enforcement officers does not mean you have purchased the right type of insurance, as well as the right amount of insurance. Each state establishes rules for purchasing car insurance, which can make it confusing to determine whether you have bought enough coverage and the right type of coverage. You might live in a no-fault insurance state or, on the other hand, an at-fault insurance state. You have several types of insurance coverage options, such as collision, comprehensive, liability, and personal injury protection (PIP). What are each of the four primary types of insurance, and how much in value does each type of insurance cover? For this article, we answer a question that addresses one of these types of insurance.

What is collision car insurance?

Another of the items on your to-do list after getting involved in a car wreck involves contacting an experienced car collision lawyer. An attorney helps you file a persuasive insurance claim, and if warranted, a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages. You should contact a car collision lawyer before reaching out to the appropriate insurance company. Many insurance companies take advantage of policyholders that do not retain legal representation when filing a claim. If you do not hire an attorney to represent you, the insurance company you must deal with might deny a valid claim or approve a claim that is not worth what you deserve in compensation.

For more than 35 years, Morgan and Morgan has represented clients that got involved in a motor vehicle collision. We have recovered more than $20 billion in compensation for clients involved in personal injury cases, with a large percentage of the recovered money coming from car accident lawsuits. Not only is our team of personal injury attorneys experienced at winning personal injury lawsuits, but we also negotiate settlements that help our clients receive just compensation, without having to endure the costly and time-consuming litigation process.

Schedule a free case evaluation to learn more about how the car collision lawyers at Morgan and Morgan can help you recover from the financial losses caused by a car accident.

What Is Collision Insurance?

Collision car insurance represents a type of auto insurance coverage that covers your financial losses if you crash into a stationary object or another motor vehicle. As opposed to liability insurance, collision car insurance covers your car damage losses even if an investigation discovers that you caused the auto crash. Collision insurance covers getting involved in a one-vehicle accident, such as your car rolling over or hitting an electrical utility pole. You also receive collision insurance coverage if another party hits your car while it is parked on a street.

Keep in mind that collision insurance coverage covers only the financial losses generated by vehicle damage. It does not cover other types of property damages, such as damage done to a laptop. Although collision insurance coverage is a good idea to purchase, state laws do not require motorists to have it. However, car rental businesses typically require customers to buy collision insurance to rent a motor vehicle. Another example of mandatory collision insurance is having to buy it if you have not paid off the balance on a car loan.

Should I Buy Collision Auto Insurance?

You should ask a few questions before you determine whether having collision insurance is worth the additional cost.  How much is your motor vehicle worth? If it is worth a substantial amount of money, collision insurance provides you with financial protection in case you damage the car as a result of a collision. You also have to ask yourself whether you can afford to pay for auto repairs out-of-pocket. Purchasing collision insurance provides you with the peace of mind of knowing that you are covered financially in case your vehicle sustains damages because of an auto crash. If you put your car in storage for a long period to maintain its value, then buying collision insurance might not be a financially prudent idea.

When Should I Drop Collision Coverage From My Auto Insurance Policy?

Although having collision insurance coverage is a good idea for newer vehicles, there comes a point when you should consider dropping it from your auto insurance policy. The general rule is to drop collision insurance coverage when your vehicle turns five years old or when your car exceeds 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. Nonetheless, you must make the value of your car the most important criterion for deciding when to drop collision insurance coverage. For instance, a five-year-old Mercedes-Benz retains more value than a five-year-old Ford Taurus. You also have to factor in the value of your annual auto insurance deductible, as well as the other types of auto insurance coverage you have bought.

How Do Collision and Comprehensive Insurance Differ?

Shopping for the right auto insurance policy can create confusion, mostly due to the many different types of coverage. One of the most common questions asked by consumers shopping for auto insurance is what is the difference between collision and comprehensive coverage? As we mentioned earlier, collision insurance coverage covers the financial losses associated with making an impact with another car or a stationary object. Collision insurance covers you if you get involved in a one-car crash or a multi-vehicle collision.

On the other hand, comprehensive auto insurance covers the costs associated with non-impact financial losses. Comprehensive car insurance covers incidents such as fire, auto theft, falling objects, and severe weather. Since you have less control over events such as the weather and falling objects, you should consider purchasing comprehensive insurance if your vehicle has retained enough value to make it worth the investment.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Vehicle Collisions?

When you meet with a car collision lawyer from Morgan and Morgan for a free case evaluation, one of the first items on the agenda is to determine the cause of the auto crash. Determining the cause of a vehicle collision often helps a personal injury attorney decide whether another party committed one or more acts of negligence. Your attorney reviews the formal police report, as well as any physical evidence you have gathered. With more than three decades of experience litigating personal injury cases, Morgan and Morgan presents the three most common causes of car accidents.

Reckless Driving

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding motorists caused more than 25 percent of all fatal auto crashes in 2018. Moving above the speed limit reduces the amount of time a driver has to make adjustments. Speeding also exacerbates the damage caused by an impact, especially when it comes to producing serious injuries that require emergency care. Another type of reckless driving that can produce serious injuries is when a motorist runs a red light or stop sign. This type of reckless driving frequently causes side-impact crashes, which leave a driver highly vulnerable to sustaining severe, even life-threatening injuries.

Distracted Driving

States have cracked down on the dangerous practice of texting and driving by passing laws that prohibit the behavior. However, most motorists ignore texting and driving laws. Texting and driving puts a motorist in a precarious position to operate a vehicle because of the fact the head is turned away from the road in front of the vehicle. By the time a driver realizes the imminent danger, it becomes too late to make the proper adjustments to avoid a collision. Other types of distractions that lead to auto crashes include eating, listening to music on headphones, and tending to personal hygiene issues such as applying makeup.

Driving Under the Influence

States have also passed strict blood alcohol content (BAC) laws to deter drivers from driving under the influence of alcohol.  As with anti-texting and driving laws, far too many motorists ignore BAC laws, which usually establish a limit of 0.08. Driving while intoxicated slows down reaction times, which prevents motorists from making the right moves to avoid contact with other vehicles. It also impairs the judgment of motorists, especially when it comes to performing unnecessary risk maneuvers like trying to pass other vehicles in a no-passing zone.

All three of these common causes of car accidents are considered negligent acts by law enforcement agencies. The key to proving negligence is to acquire the footage captured by a traffic and/or security camera.

Hire an Experienced Car Collision Lawyer to Help You File an Insurance Claim

Hiring an experienced car collision lawyer at Morgan and Morgan helps you file a persuasive insurance claim in many ways. Your attorney works with a properly credentialed investigator to conduct a separate investigation that gathers more physical evidence. Perhaps the responding law enforcement agency missed a vital piece of physical evidence that indicates another party committed at least one act of negligence. A car collision lawyer also interviews witnesses, with a focus on witnesses that did not give statements to the responding law enforcement officers. 

You also receive legal support when filing your claim. A Morgan and Morgan car collision lawyer ensures you submit a fully completed claim form with 100 percent accurate information. Your attorney calculates a fair value for compensation and if required, tries to negotiate a settlement with the insurance adjuster processing your claim. Another important role for a car collision lawyer from Morgan and Morgan involves closely monitoring the progress of your insurance claim. Because of our more than 30 years of experience, the personal injury attorneys at Morgan and Morgan have developed positive professional relationships with insurance adjusters operating all over the United States.

If you got involved in a vehicle collision, act with a sense of urgency by scheduling a free case evaluation today with a car collision lawyer from Morgan and Morgan.