Below are descriptions of New Jersey auto insurance standard coverages that determine your liability coverage, collision coverage, and deductibles. Be sure to speak with one of our licensed agents to discuss what is right for you.
Bodily Injury Liability
- Protects you when you get into a car accident and you are at fault. This coverage pays for claims and lawsuits by people who are injured or die as a result of that accident. It compensates others for pain, suffering, and financial damages such as lost wages. Injuries to the people in your car, including the driver, are not covered under this coverage.
- Availability: The minimum limits of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident are required. You can purchase as much as $500,000 per person and $500,000 per accident.
- Considerations: The minimum limits of coverage are mandatory. You could be sued for more than the required limits for Bodily Injury Liability. Buying higher limits may protect you from large losses.
Property Damage Liability
- Protects you when you get into an accident which damages another person’s car and/or property and you are at fault. This coverage pays for claims and lawsuits by people whose property is damaged.
- Availability: A minimum limit of $5,000 is required. You can purchase as much as $250,000 per accident.
- Considerations: Due to the constantly rising costs of automobile and property repair, you may want to consider purchasing more than the required $5,000 minimum limit, which may not be enough to cover the damages to a newer car.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
- Protects you when you and other persons covered under your policy are injured in an auto accident. It is sometimes called “no-fault” coverage because it pays your own medical expenses, no matter who caused the auto accident. It pays for injuries that you and others suffer in an auto accident.
- Availability: The maximum PIP benefit covers $250,000 of medical expenses. You can purchase coverage as low as $15,000 of medical expenses. Coverage may also be provided for reimbursement for certain other expenses you may have because you are hurt, such as lost wages and the need to hire someone to take care of your home or family.
- Considerations: This coverage is mandatory. You may purchase a deductible, or designate your health insurance as primary coverage which would lower your premium but exclude you from certain coverage. Keep in mind your health insurance may not cover all of your medical expenses from an auto accident, such as cosmetic and dental services, co-payments and deductibles.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists - Bodily Injury
- Protects you when you are hit by an uninsured driver, unidentified ("hit and run") driver, or a driver without sufficient bodily injury coverage.
- Availability: A minimum limit of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident is required. You can purchase as much as $500,000 per person and $500,000 per accident. This coverage does not pay for property damage or damage to your car.
- Considerations: The minimum limit of this coverage is compulsory. Some people buy only the minimum required amounts for Bodily Injury Liability or Optional Bodily Injury Liability. Therefore, selecting higher limits may protect you from incurring high personal injury expenses.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists - Property Damage
- Protects you when you are hit by an uninsured driver, unidentified ("hit and run") driver, or a driver without sufficient property damage coverage.
- Availability: A minimum limit of $5,000. You can purchase as much as $250,000 per accident. This coverage does not pay for personal injury expenses.
- Considerations: The minimum limit of this coverage is compulsory. Some people buy only the minimum required amounts for Property Damage Liability. Therefore, selecting higher limits may protect you from incurring high property repair or replacement expenses.
Comprehensive
- Protects you when your car needs to be repaired or replaced not as a result of a collision, but as a result of losses such as fire, theft, vandalism, glass, and striking an animal.
- Availability: This coverage repairs or replaces your car. Your deductible will be set at $750 unless you select a different amount between $100 and $2,500.
- Considerations: The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. In determining the right deductible for you, decide how much you can afford to pay out of your own pocket. If your car is financed, your lender may require this coverage.
Collision Physical Damage
- Protects you when your car is damaged as a result of a collision with another car or object.
- Availability: This coverage repairs or replaces your car. Your deductible will be set at $750 unless you select a different amount between $100 and $2,500.
- Considerations: The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. In determining the right deductible for you, decide how much you can afford to pay out of your own pocket. If your car is financed, your lender may require this coverage.
Substitute Transportation (also known as car rental reimbursement)
- Protects you when you need transportation following the theft of your car.
- Availability: This coverage reimburses up to $15 a day for car rental or transportation costs including taxi, bus, and train fare (up to $450). In addition, you may purchase coverage for transportation costs while your car is undergoing covered repairs and for limits up to $50 a day (up to a limit of $1,500) can be purchased.
- Considerations: Keep in mind that even if you have this coverage, some car rental agencies may refuse to rent to you if you are under a certain age, a poor credit risk, do not have an acceptable credit card or have an unacceptable driving record.
Towing and Labor
- Protects you when you need to tow your car when broken down or disabled as a result of an accident.
- Availability: Towing and Labor coverage pays up to $25 for towing and labor charges each time your car breaks down whether or not there is an accident involved. You are covered only for the on-site labor costs at the breakdown site (excluding parts) needed to get your car running again. In addition, coverage up to $75 per disablement can be purchased.
- Considerations: If you belong to a motor club, you may not need this coverage since many motor clubs' services include towing and labor.
Lawsuit Options: Unlimited Right or Limited Right
- Protects you when you have pain and suffering caused by injuries not on the standard list of six specific injuries.
- Availability: The normal selection is “Limited Right to Sue.” Under the No Limitation on Lawsuit Option, you retain the right to sue the person who caused an auto accident for pain and suffering for any injury. By choosing the Limitation on Lawsuit Option, you agree not to sue the person who caused an auto accident for pain and suffering unless you sustain one of a specific list of six injuries.
- Considerations: The premium for “Unlimited Right” is significantly higher than “Limited Right.”
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