When you renew your automotive insurance policy, you probably assume that you have paid for protection if you get into a crash. While that is true, many people don’t realize that their policy doesn’t necessarily pay them directly after a crash.
Fault factors into which insurance company pays for the losses suffered in a wreck. In other words, your policy only pays if you cause the crash. Otherwise, you make a claim against the coverage of the driver at fault for the wreck.
The insurance company may also try to negotiate what they pay on a claim, particularly if a driver has high levels of coverage. What will an insurance company provide after a wreck in Arizona?
You can make claims for property damage, lost wages and medical bills
Motor vehicle liability insurance helps cover the costs that directly stem from a crash. Every driver carries coverage both for causing damage to people’s property and injury to the people in the vehicle. Arizona sets minimum insurance requirements, although every driver has the option of purchasing more coverage.
You can expect at least $15,000 worth of property damage coverage and $25,000 worth of coverage if you were the only one who got hurt. In a crash that causes injuries to multiple people, there should be at least $50,000 worth of bodily injury liability protection. That coverage will help to reimburse you both for your medical bills and unearned wages stemming from the crash.
When a driver only carries the minimum amount of insurance, you may have to make a claim against your own policy if you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage or consider filing a civil lawsuit against the other driver.
You may not receive the full amount of coverage
Insurance companies will only pay up to the maximum coverage amount, but that doesn’t mean they will happily write a check for $25,000 if you badly break your leg in a crash. They may try to negotiate everything from how much they pay to repair your vehicle to how much wage replacement they offer.
Understanding how much coverage is available and what costs you incurred will make it easier for you to negotiate with the insurance company after a crash.
