Understanding Auto Insurance
The first thing we need to take a look at is auto insurance itself. Fortunately, most drivers do carry insurance, so it is the law. However, enough people drive without insurance so some states require drivers to have uninsured motorist coverage. And, in most states, insurance companies are at least required to offer uninsured motorist coverage. As the name implies, uninsured motorist coverage helps protect you should you have a collision with an uninsured driver. Usually, uninsured coverage helps out more if you are injured and the other motorist, assuming they are at fault, has no insurance. In which case, your uninsured motorist policy can help pay for your injuries, as well as damages to your vehicle.
Collision Coverage
In most cases, if the other driver is at fault for the accident, but they have no insurance, your collision coverage will pay to repair your vehicle. However, it will not cover your injuries. So, if you are good and carry auto insurance, in most cases, you are covered for repair even if that other party has no insurance.
However, your insurance company will want to seek out payment somehow from the other party. This is why the insurance companies for both drivers like to sit down and determine which party is at fault. They can then weigh how much of their insurance will be allocated to the repair of your vehicle versus the other party’s insurance.
In the case where the other motorist is uninsured, while your coverage may cover the repair, you may later see an increase in premiums you pay for your coverage. That is why it is a good idea to go ahead and take advantage of uninsured motorist coverage, just in case.
Repairing your Vehicle Without Insurance
Sometimes you may choose, for varying reasons, not to repair your vehicle using your insurance. Perhaps you are afraid they will increase your premiums, or maybe you feel that the repair could be less than your deductible, so it is not worth it (however, collision repair is very unlikely to be less than the deductible). You may also choose to repair without insurance because the car was declared totaled, but you still want the vehicle repaired. In any of the cases above, most auto body shops will perform the repairs, but you will be the one paying. In which case, work closely with them on the estimate and truly understand the repair’s full nature. Also, understand that if you choose to repair a vehicle your insurance declared totaled and paid you the value of your car, you may not be able to insure that vehicle once repaired.
If you have a question about uninsured vehicle repairs and your options, give us a call at 303-344-2212. We are happy to help. And, if need be, take advantage of our free estimates.
