What Do I Need to Know About Tort or No-Fault Auto Insurance?

Getting the best auto insurance at the best price can be tricky. One big question you should sort out from the start is whether you are in a tort or no-fault state. Most states operate the fault based, or tort system.

This makes a difference when buying auto insurance, as in a state where it is a tort system, you will have to pay for all medical and damage expenses if the accident is found to be your fault. These can be considerable. You may want to keep your auto insurance expenses as low as possible, especially if you have an old car, but you cannot neglect your responsibilities in the event that you cause damage or injuries.

As the person found to have caused the accident you would be responsible for paying the cost of medical bills; also, you can be required to pay for causing ‘pain and suffering’ and for loss of income on the part of the victim. There could also be costs associated with damage to property. In most cases the negotiating is handled by the insurance companies and you will not be involved in a legal wrangle. It is the liability insurance, which is an obligation when insuring a car, that covers these potentially substantial claims against the at-fault driver. So, even if your car is worth little itself, you may find you are grateful for the liability cover in the event that you cause and accident.

If you cause an accident, you also need to cover your own medical expenses; however, this too is covered by the liability policy. It could be possible to use your health insurance rather than you auto insurance in most cases.

If you are in a tort state, and most people are, the other thing you need to consider is whether or not to have uninsured or under-insured driver cover. Again, this relates to your health insurance policy. So find out if you can use your own health insurance if you are involved in an accident caused by an uninsured driver. You should be able to. If you cannot, you may want to change your health insurance provider.

In a no-fault state, the person who caused the accident is not the source of funding for any medical treatment you require. It is your insurance that you rely on, so make sure that you check with your health insurance provider and ascertained their approach to accident cover. You will probably have personal injury protection (PIP) as well through your auto insurance policy. Just make sure you are well covered, but also make sure that you are not paying twice for the same coverage.

Insurance of all kinds can be hard to understand and auto insurance is no exception. It is clear that there are links between health and auto insurance. Make sure your policies are working for you and you are getting the best value possible rather than paying for things you do not need. Affordable insurance is out there somewhere, so make sure you get some of it.

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