Steering clear of four auto insurance myths
1 minute read Published on Jul 28, 2017 by BrokerLink Communications
BrokerLink's insurance brokers help customers through the auto insurance process. This includes educating drivers about which insurance coverage(s) they need and demystifying myths – incorrect auto-insurance assumptions – which cause confusion. Here are the truths to four auto insurance myths.
1. Myth: If the police don’t give out a traffic violation after an accident, a person’s insurance premiums won’t increase.
The truth: police do not determine who is responsible for an accident. Insurance companies use fault-determining rules to determine which party is going to be held responsible.
2. Myth: If a person doesn’t ride their motorcycle in the winter, they don’t need insurance.
The truth: theft, vandalism and unexpected damages can happen any time of the year. Having year-round insurance coverage helps handle the result of these events. Additionally, premiums are determined by how often a person uses their motorcycle, which is then used to create year-round coverage. As a result, cancelling an insurance policy during the off season would not save money.
3. Myth: To make sure a person gets enough money after a car accident, inflating the claim costs is acceptable.
The truth: it’s a crime to inflate the cost of a claim and is referred to as insurance fraud. The amount of compensation a person receives depends on the terms of the policy and the deductibles (the amount of money a person pays to receive the insurance coverage).
4. Myth: If a vehicle is determined to be a “write off” due to an accident, a person will get the full value of their vehicle back.
The truth: it’s unlikely a person will get the original value of their vehicle back when it’s deemed a “write-off.” In most cases, the person would get the actual cash value of their vehicle at their time of the accident – this accounts for the depreciation of the vehicle.
Get in the driver’s seat: learn more about auto insurance
For more information about auto insurance, take a look at our answers to commonly-asked auto insurance questions. To save money on insurance, drivers can also bundle their home and auto insurance policies together.