Houston Auto Insurance

• Property coverage pays for damage to or theft of your car.
• Liability coverage pays for your legal responsibility to others for bodily injury or property damage.
• Medical coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses.

An auto insurance policy is comprised of six different kinds of coverage. Most states require you to buy some, but not all, of these coverages. If you're financing a car, your lender may also have requirements.

Most auto policies are for six months or a year. Your insurance company should notify you by mail when it's time to renew the policy and to pay your premium.

Why do you need auto insurance?

It's really all about protecting yourself financially.

• If you're in an accident or your car is stolen, it costs money, often a lot of money, to fix or replace it.
• If you or any passengers are injured in an accident, medical costs can be extremely expensive.
• If you or your car is responsible for damage or injury to others, you may be sued for much more than you're worth.
• Not only is having insurance a prudent financial decision, many states require you to have at least some coverage.

Protect yourself and your family

• Liability Coverage - typically helps protect you for damages to others if you're at fault in a covered accident.
• Medical Payments Coverage - typically helps provide payment for your reasonable and necessary medical treatment for bodily injury caused by a covered accident.
• Underinsured/Uninsured Motorist Coverage - typically helps protect you for covered damage caused by drivers who don't have auto insurance or don't carry enough auto insurance.
• Personal Injury Protection - typically pays for your medical expenses regardless of who is at fault.

Protect your car

• Collision Coverage - typically helps pay to repair your insured car after a covered accident.
• Comprehensive Coverage - typically helps pay for covered damges to your insured car resulting from a peril other than a collision, such as theft, windstorm or flood, to name a few.
• Rental and Towing - typically pays for rental or towing expenses due to an accident.

Depending on the company you choose, you can get discounts for:

• Being a Good Driver
• Being a Good Student
• Driving a Safe Car
• Having a Homeowner's Policy with your auto insurance carrier
• Multi car discount
• Having previous and continuous coverage
• Pay if full discount, or auto draft discount
• Occuptional discount

Questions to ask your agent

Your Independent Agent is an advocate for finding auto insurance that meets your specific needs. Here are a few things to consider as you prepare for the discussion:

• How much can you afford to pay if you get in an accident? (To keep premiums low you may want to have a higher deductible and be willing to pay more for repairs.)
• What is the insurance company's level of service and ability to pay claims?
• What discounts are available? (Ask about good driver, multiple policy and student discounts.)
• What's the procedure for filing and settling a claim? (Ask who to call and what happens after you file a claim.)