So, getting Atlanta car insurance might seem like a monumental task – and one that you’re not too keen to embark on. You may even be dreading it. To help boost your confidence about the entire ordeal, we’ve put together a list of eight tips to keep in mind when you’re getting car insurance.
8 tips for getting car insurance in Atlanta
1. First of all, remember that liability insurance doesn’t protect your vehicle.
So, the first thing to remember about getting car insurance is that liability insurance won’t cover your car. If you’re in an accident or if something else happens to your ride, your liability insurance won’t cover the bill to repair or replace it. That’s because it’s meant to protect the other driver in an accident in which you’re at fault, like so:
- Bodily injury liability: This covers the medical expenses and pain and suffering of the other driver.
- Property damage liability: This covers the repair/replacement of the other driver’s car (or other property you damage) if you’re at-fault in an accident.
(Liability insurance can also help you cover your legal expenses if you get sued.)
However, there is a way to make sure your investment in your vehicle is protected: collision and comprehensive coverage. These coverages will help you repair or replace your car, but we’ll explain each of those coverages in a second.
2. Understand the different coverages you can get for your car.
There are many different coverages you can choose for your car that will help you protect your vehicle. It’s important to understand the various coverages you can choose for your car – and how they can shield your bank account from harm.
Liability insurance – The bodily injury and property damage liability that we explained above.
Collision coverage – Helps you repair or replace your car if you’re at-fault in an accident or otherwise crash into something.
Comprehensive coverage – Helps you repair or replace your car if it’s damaged by fire, theft, vandalism, animal strike, or falling objects (i.e. tree branches.)
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) – Helps you out if you’re hit by a driver who doesn’t have enough insurance (underinsured motorist) or who doesn’t have insurance (uninsured motorist) and can’t cover all of the expenses of an accident.
Rental reimbursement – Can help you cover the expenses of renting a car if you’re in an accident and your car has to go to the shop.
Medical payments – Helps cover the medical expenses and those of your passengers if you’re involved in an accident.
Anyways, it’s important to understand the basics of different coverages when you’re getting car insurance.
3. Make sure you get enough insurance.
It’s important to make sure that you completely cover your risk and protect your bank account. Georgia’s state minimum liability insurance limits are $25,000 bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 of property damage liability. At first glance, it might look like that’s a ton of coverage. But when you consider how much you could owe someone if you cause a serious accident, or how expensive a lawsuit could be, that amount suddenly seems a lot smaller. Those limits can quickly run dry.
Anyways, what we’re saying is that you might want to get more than the state minimum level of car insurance. You may want to set higher levels of liability coverage than 25/50/25.
Also, you might want to consider adding coverages like collision and comprehensive instead of just getting the bare minimum liability insurance. Other coverages are also essential to protecting yourself financially.
4. Give some thought to bundling.
Bundling is when you get multiple lines of coverage from the same carrier – for example if you get home and auto insurance from the same insurance company.
Why should you think about bundling?
A lot of carriers offer a discount for clients that bundle their home and auto insurance. And discounts mean that you get to save money on your insurance. It’s definitely something to think about when you’re getting car insurance.
You can also bundle your auto insurance with your renter’s insurance if you don’t have a house. Just keep that in mind.
5. Understand the different factors that affect car insurance rates.
There are a ton of things that can impact your car insurance premium. It’s not just an arbitrary number that comes out of nowhere. Many, many things go into determining your rates, including:
- Your car’s year, make, and model
- Where you live
- Your driving record (tickets, accidents, etc.)
- Claims history
- Your credit score
- How old you are
- What deductible you set
- The coverages you’ve selected
So, be prepared for the above to play a part in your premium when you get car insurance.
6. Set the deductible that works for you.
Your deductible is the amount you agree to pay if you ever have a claim. Basically, you have your chunk of the loss and the insurance company has theirs. For example, if you have a $500 deductible and then have a $3,000 loss to your car, you pay $500 and the insurance company pays $2,500.
So, when you’re setting your deductible, you have to consider how much you’re comfortably able to afford in the event of a claim. Keep in mind that if you set a higher deductible, you could get a lower premium because you’re less likely to file a claim. However, you don’t want to set your deductible so high that it would be burdensome to pay if you ever did have a claim.
7. Don’t forget car insurance discounts.
Car insurance discounts can help you save money on your car insurance. Many carriers offer discounts like the Good Student Discount, the multi-car discount, a bundling discount, and more. Check out the discounts that your carrier offers.
8. Get car insurance quotes.
It’s also important to get car insurance quotes so that you can get great coverage at a great rate. Do some research about the companies you’re considering and make sure they have a strong financial rating and good claims handling and customer service.
Get a quote for Atlanta car insurance by filling out our online form or calling us. You can also Live Chat message us to get started.