Understanding California Car Insurance Rules and Terminology
When you’re buying your California car insurance online, you will usually come across a lot more car insurance terms than you would if you were buying them in an office or with an agent over the phone. The good thing about having an agent is that they will be there to explain rules and terms to you. However, more and more people are realizing that they don’t need an agent, and can in fact get all of their car insurance online. As a result, more confusion can happen because the only person there to explain car insurance terms to you is you yourself. I’ve made a list of common terms that you will encounter while buying your car insurance online. Hopefully it will make the process much easier.
- Actual cash value: This is the amount that your car is worth, after depreciation, and is what you receive after your vehicle is totaled in a car accident.
- Benefit: this is what you get when you file a claim, paid by the car insurance online company.
- Bodily injury liability: this is for if you get into an accident that you cause, to take care of the medical coverage for the injured people in the other vehicle.
- Claim: when you get into a car accident and you ask to get money for your coverage based on damages.
- Collision: This is coverage for whenever you get into an at fault accident to cover the damages on your own property.
- Comprehensive: coverage for things such as vandalism, theft, and damages due to natural disaster.
- Deductible: the part of the expenses that you have to pay before your car insurance coverage kicks in.
- Exclusion: something that is not covered by the CA car insurance online policy.
- Full coverage: liability plus comprehensive and collision.
- Indemnity: a predetermined sum paid for loss.
- Limits: the highest the car insurance online company will pay for losses.
- No fault insurance: car insurance claims dealt with in each person’s own company. No blame involved or required.
- Personal injury protection: covers medical expenses for the at fault driver, including long term and wage loss for serious injuries.
- SR22 form that must be filed for three years or more as proof of insurance after DUI.
- Tort: when you sue someone for damages after a car insurance accident.
- Uninsured motorist coverage: when you get into an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist and they are at fault, then you will need this coverage for your own damages.
Minimum Liability Auto Insurance Quote in California
Reader’s question:
What is the minimum liability insurance required for California drivers?
Michael
Thank you for asking.
The state law in California requires all motorist to show proof of financial responsibility. They must show their ability to pay for damages and injuries to others resulting from an accident.
Every driver and car owners are required by the California’s Compulsory Financial Responsibility Law to be financially responsible for all their actions. Here’s the minimum liability insurance requirement in California:
Bodily Injury:
- $15,000 for injury or death of one person per accident
- $30000 for all persons per accident
Property Damage:
- $5,000 per accident
There are ways to accomplish the financial responsibility
1. the coverage by a motor vehicle /automobile liability insurance policy
2. Financial Responsibility (FR) /cash deposit of $35000 with the DMV
3. certificate of self insurance issued by DMV to owners of fleets of more than 25 vehicles
4. surety bond for $35000 obtained from the licensed insurance company in CA
All motorist should have the minimum liability insurance or may have an alternative way to pay for the damages they may cause. Personal injury is not required but its an optional coverage that one might want to buy for reasonable and necessary medical expenses payment for you and your passengers.
Goodluck!
MariCAR
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