Auto Insurance

Car insurance is a promise of financial protection. With the right policy in place, you’ll have help available for the costs of car wrecks, accident injuries and a variety of legal liabilities related to vehicle accidents. That way, you won’t suffer high financial losses in case of inconvenient driving hazards.

Drivers should carry car insurance for both financial and legal reasons.

• By having coverage, you won’t experience massive financial hardships just because you have a car wreck or experience another loss.
• Additionally, car insurance is one of your keys to be able to drive legally. North Carolina requires drivers to carry minimum amounts of coverage, and those who do not will face penalties.

All in all, car insurance equals reassurance. It’s there to help you feel safe behind the wheel, and with the help of our agency team, you can build a policy that protects you against multiple risks.

North Carolina requires drivers to carry certain types of auto insurance. The minimum limits are:

• $30,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person
• $60,000 bodily injury liability coverage per accident
• $25,000 property damage liability coverage

The state requires liability insurance because drivers who cause accidents must pay for the injuries and property damage of other involved parties. Liability insurance helps the insured driver do so.

Additionally, drivers might have to carry uninsured and/or underinsured motorist coverage, depending on whether they carry the minimum liability limits or expanded liability coverage.

• Uninsured motorist coverage will pay for the policyholder’s vehicle damage when they are victims of hit-and-runs or other wrecks where the at-fault driver has no liability insurance.
• Underinsured motorist coverage pays for your own damage when the at-fault party has liability insurance, but that coverage does not provide enough compensation for all of your losses.

Besides your coverage requirements, you can buy enhanced protection that includes:

• Collision Insurance: This coverage will pay for your own vehicle damage following a wreck.
• Comprehensive Insurance: When your vehicle gets damaged from a non-accident hazard, such as a fire, vandalism or severe weather, this coverage can pay for the repairs.
• Medical Payments Coverage: If you get hurt in a wreck, this coverage can pay your medical costs or those of your passengers.
• Other coverage offers help for roadside assistance and rental car coverage.

Our agents are happy to work with you to determine how to set your policy limits to your benefit. Keep a few tips in mind:

• Your policy must contain the minimum liability coverage, but you can increase these limits.
• If you finance your car, your lender might require collision and comprehensive coverage.
• Policies will include deductibles that affect how much assistance you receive from a claim.
• Most policies pay for totaled vehicles based on their depreciated value (cash value) at the time of the loss. However, some insurers offer coverage for the vehicle’s replacement cost.

Please note: Commercial vehicles, RVs, motorcycles, custom and classic cars often won’t receive adequate coverage from standard car insurance. You’ll likely need specialty policies for these vehicles.

Your car insurance deductible is the price you will pay for your own claim before your policy pays. So, if you have a $1,000 collision deductible, and you have $4,000 worth of wreck damage to your car, then you pay the first $1,000 and your insurer pays the remaining $3,000.

If damage falls below the deductible cost, your policy will not pay. Though increasing your deductible might help you save on your premium costs, you should always choose a deductible you can afford.