The Importance of Good Auto Insurance

In Pennsylvania, the law requires a certain minimum amount of auto insurance coverage. This amount is informally called a 15/30/5 Policy. These numbers are shorthand, for $15,000 of coverage for injuries you cause to one person; $30,000 of coverage for injuries you cause to two or more people; and $5,000 of coverage for damage you cause to the property of others. That’s it.

Perhaps you noticed, the required state minimum does not cover injuries to YOU or damages to YOUR VEHICLE. The state minimum is insufficient and outdated coverage, being in place since the 1970’s with no changes or indexing for inflation and the realities of modern life.

“Good” coverage protects OTHERS and protects YOU.

You should purchase UM/UIM coverage. UM/UIM is shorthand for Uninsured/Underinsured. This covers YOU for injuries you suffer by a driver that doesn’t have liability coverage (i.e. Uninsured) or doesn’t have adequate liability coverage (i.e. Underinsured). For example, if you are injured by a driver that is uninsured and you don’t have UM coverage in place, you are likely out of luck to be financially compensated for your injury. Similarly, if you are injured by a driver that is underinsured (e.g. the other driver only has 15/30 liability coverage) and you don’t have UIM coverage in place, you are limited to $15,000 of financial compensation for your injury. Worse yet, at any given time in Pennsylvania up to 20% of drivers are not insured. UM/UIM coverage gives you the power to insure all drivers on the road for as much as you want them to be insured for.

Pay extra for Stacking if you own more than 1 vehicle. Stacking allows you to combine UM/UIM coverage that you have on 2 or more vehicles and make it available to you all at once. For instance, imagine that you have $25,000 of UM/UIM coverage on each of the 3 vehicles in your household. If another driver is uninsured/underinsured and at fault for an accident that injured you, you are able to make a claim to your own insurance company for your injuries up to $25,000 because of the UM/UIM coverage you purchased. (Yes, you can make a claim against your own insurance company!) BUT, if you paid just a bit extra for Stacking, then you would be able to make a claim to your own insurance company for your injuries up to $75,000 (Because all 3 of your $25,000 policies are combined, i.e. “stacked” together).

You should purchase the Full Tort option. Full Tort allows you to financially recover for any degree of injury no matter how minor. The alternative is the Limited Tort option, which only allows recover for an injury that is a “serious impairment of a bodily function” or a “serious permanent disfigurement”. What does this really mean? For example, if you suffer whiplash causing neck and back pain resulting in 6 months of physical therapy, you might not be able to financially recover for your injuries if you chose Limited Tort on your auto insurance policy. Most attorneys would agree that a “serious impairment of a bodily function” or a “serious permanent disfigurement” would include a broken bone, herniated disc, permanent and noticeable scar and/or an injury requiring surgery. But there are many lesser injuries one could suffer that are still very painful, lasting and disruptive to your life, that may be barred if you select the Limit Tort option. Choosing the Full Tort option leaves nothing to chance.

You should purchase Full Coverage (which is not the same thing as Full Tort). Full Coverage commonly refers to Collision Coverage (when others crash into your vehicle or you back into that light post at the super market) and Comprehensive Coverage (damage caused other ways, such as hail stones, theft, vandalism, etc.). This is a good idea if your vehicle is valuable and is required if your vehicle is leased or financed. It’s also great protection if your vehicle is struck by an uninsured driver. Lastly, it’s great coverage to have if liability is unclear. If you think an accident is the other guys fault, but he thinks it’s yours, this coverage will require your insurance carrier to fix your vehicle promptly; then your carrier will duke out liability with the other guy on your behalf free of charge to you. Note: This is also where you have the option to purchase Towing and Rental Coverage.

Purchase Property Damage Liability Coverage greater than the $5,000 required state minimum. This type of coverage not only covers damage you cause to the other guy’s vehicle, but also to personal and real property. If you rear end someone sending their car crashing into a telephone pole, careening through a store front window while breaking their expensive Iphone and designer sunglasses, this is the coverage that protects you for all of that. Maybe $5k would cover the tab in the 1970’s, but not today. Nowadays most any accident, no matter how minor, will result in more than $5,000 in damage.

You should purchase Personal Liability Coverage greater than the minimum required $15,000/$30,000 (i.e. 15/30). There are all different increments of coverage available above 15/30, the most common starting at $25,000/$50,000 (i.e. 25/50) all the way up to $500,000/$1,000,000 (i.e. 500/1000) and beyond. This coverage compensates OTHERS for injury you cause them due to your negligence (i.e. mistakes, bad driving, etc.). It also protects YOU because your increased coverage will be adequate to compensate others, and therefore they are extremely unlikely to pursue your personal assets in a lawsuit. Win – Win!

Lastly, you should consider increasing your First-Party Benefits Coverage. The First-Party referred to here is YOU! This is coverage that compensates you no matter who is at fault. The state minimum coverage in PA does provide you $5,000.00 of coverage for your Medical Bills (called PIP). But if you buy “good” insurance, you can be covered for more than $5,000.00, plus Funeral Costs, Accidental Death Benefits and Wage Loss. Of course, when deciding on this coverage you should consider what other coverages you may have in place through Health/Life/Disability policies. There’s no sense in paying twice – though be sure to note that increasing First-Party Benefits Coverage is relatively inexpensive.

“Good” Coverage obviously costs more than the state minimum coverage. I’ve litigated thousands of auto cases; take it from me, if you’re ever in an accident, you will never regret having paid a bit extra for auto insurance. Before an accident, it will give you peace of mind and after an accident, it will compensate you and your family while protecting your assets.

The difference between “Good” and “Bad” auto insurance coverage is probably the cost of few nice dinners a year – you and your family are worth that. Eight (8) auto injuries occur in this country every minute and a fatality occurs every 13 minutes! Don’t skimp here.

In sum, I recommend to my own family and my clients:

1. Buy the optional UM/UIM coverage
2. Pay extra for Stacking to combine your UM/UIM coverages if you have more than 1 vehicle
3. Always pay more for the optional Full Tort coverage (not to be confused with Full Coverage)
4. Buy the optional Full Coverage to protect your vehicle against damage caused by Uninsured/Underinsured drivers
5. Buy increased amounts of Property Damage Liability coverage
6. Buy increased amounts of Personal Injury Liability coverage 
7. Consider increasing your First-Party Benefits.

 

These are the basics but there is far more to the ins and outs of auto insurance. Please contact my office anytime if you have questions!

 

Call Risk Averse Insurance in Media, PA to get a quote on auto insurance.

Risk Averse Insurance is an independent insurance agency in Delaware County that specializes in providing high-quality insurance products at an affordable price.

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Ive worked with Don for the last few year's. When I started my buisness I knew I needed help and didn't know where to start.I knew I needed an absolute beast of an agent and every other owner/ operator I talked too said if "You don't have Don Blizzard as an agent then you dont have the best agent. "He took a chance and helped me grow my buisness to where its at today. Riskaverse is the absolute best and since starting my buisness all my insurance is through them with help from Don Blizzard. He has a way to explain it to me where I understand my coverage and exposure and the commercial side including Meghan are the absolute best at getting COI'S sent to potential clients within minutes of requesting the copy.Hands down I only go where Don goes and I know whatever policies are written and where my coverage goes my loyalty will always lay with Don.He took a chance and grew with me and I'm forever grateful to all the staff at RiskAverse for being family and buisness friendly and not looking at me as a number or a client but actually caring and finding us the best for which suits our needs.#TeamDonBlizzard #TeamRiskAverse#TeamMegan
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Dante DeSans
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saffron bala
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Lauren Gilligan
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Christina Nole
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Sydney Michele
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Dominque Kelly
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Matt Greer
Very happy with our recent bundle policy through RAI. Fred Burns is the best broker we've ever had the pleasure of doing business with. He's always available when we need him and I feel like he genuinely has my best interests in mind.
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Edward Gilbert
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melissa donnelly
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Aurya Bey
I highly recommend Risk Averse Insurance. I was referred to Don several years ago when he was with a different agency, but I had such a good experience with him that when I moved several years later, I tracked him down to Risk Averse.So far he has been just as helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly as last time. Not only was he able to secure great rates, he advised me on what sorts of coverage made sense, without overselling anything. He has even referred me to several professionals to handle some work on the house itself. Couldn't ask for anything more. Thank you!
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Greg Conant
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Nicholas Lavella
Risk Adverse Insurance, and our agent, Don Blizzard, have been great to us. Don is the reason we went with Risk Adverse Insurance and we’re happy we did. Don is honest and straight forward. He has taken after-business-hours calls during major storms to answer our questions or point us in the right direction. He has also picked up on coverage we didn’t realize we could/should have had and still managed to lower our premiums. Awesome person - awesome professional and great company!
Dawn Tormey
Dawn Tormey
I was in the need for some Contractors Liability Insurance and contacted Don at Risk Averse Insurance. Don took the time to guide me thru everything I needed even though we were not able to come up with a plan for my business - Don made sure I was able to get the coverage I needed. He told me another carrier would be better for me at this time. His advice was spot on and told me who could help. It was not a money conversation at all - it was more of someone I’ve known conversation. DON IS MY GO TO GUY FOR INSURANCE!!
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dj spin live en vivo
Fred made it super easy, within 10 mins he found the cheapest homeowners insurance and took care of the rest. Great guy, great agent.
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Frankie Petrillo
I’ve known Don for a while and recently became a client of his for our multi-state construction company. What I can tell you is this – we’ve worked with “big” firms prior to this and working with Don, Meghan and Marc at Risk Averse has been an eye-opener. From the start, the way they worked with us during the quoting process, showed us everything, explained the pros and cons of the options they provided, the responsiveness - it has been unlike anything we’ve experienced and for the first time, I feel as though we have an agency that is truly our partner and will advocate for our best interest no matter what. My advice to any business owner reading this is to call Don, set up a time to talk, work through his process and understand going in that it will be different, but also that you will get the result you’re looking for if you listen to what he says.
Mona Malik
Mona Malik
I’ve been insuring with Don for years and this year, my renewal price was higher than expected. Within a few days he and Jaclyn were able to find me a different company for the same coverage and a lot less money. I’m a client for life
Jim Huston
Jim Huston
I recently had an accident in a parking lot, and the other driver was convinced that it was my fault. I called my agent Don and Risk Averse and he calmly and professionally walked me through the steps I should take to resolve this matter. I call the local police and my insurance company and let them figure out who was at fault. I was the right advice at a time when emotions were running high. I really appreciate Don being there at the moment I needed help. Thank you Michael
Michael Incorvaia
Michael Incorvaia
Fred was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was very responsive to the questions I had. He got me the best rates and the best insurance to fit my needs. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO SAVE MONEY ON BOTH AUTO AND HOME INSURANCE.
Milo Matos
Milo Matos
My agent Don got me a great policy with better coverage, and saved me money. The best part about being a client so far is the service from my account manager, Megan! Highly recommend
Pat Moran
Pat Moran
Fred was excellent with his responsive time. Offered me options. He made everything easy and clear. His service is second to none! Thanks for all the help!
josh rosen
josh rosen
My insurance is literally the lowest it's been in years thanks to Meghan and Risk Averse Insurance!!
Krasimir Krumov
Krasimir Krumov
I've been using Don and his insurance team for the last several years. Their professionalism and quality goes unmatched! Whether for business or personal, Risk Averse is the way to go!
Cynthia Krumov
Cynthia Krumov
We switched from USAA to Risk Averse when we bought our first home and needed homeowners insurance. The auto insurance is half of the price and way better coverage. Don was awesome and our service representative Jaclyn has been great to work with. Really appreciate the savings on our policies.
Dan Sykes
Dan Sykes
Fred is great. I always know I’m getting great customer service. He’s very knowledgeable. Any time I have a question or issue, He responses promptly With an answer I’m able to understand. He goes above and beyond to make sure you are happy as a customer.
Brittany Marie
Brittany Marie
My husband and I were very impressed by Fred Burns. His knowledge and quick responses to the simplest questions were all taken with extreme urgency. He went above and beyond. Absolutely amazing service!
Briar Murtaugh
Briar Murtaugh
Great organization. I'm very happy with the dedication and response time of everyone I've worked with. Don and Andrew have been great! Thank you guys
Rick Sabatini
Rick Sabatini
Don is amazing! He’s been helping us with our auto, renter’s, and home insurance for years. Don brings his A game to every experience.
Trapper Williams
Trapper Williams
Hey I recieved a great quote from Don Blizzard saved a ton of money on my general and workmans comp
William Mccaffery
William Mccaffery
I have used Risk Averse (Don) for several years on many occasions. He has been very helpful in researching my needs for both homeowners and auto insurance and at the same time saving me hundreds of dollars a year on my premiums. I have highly recommended him to both family and friends.
Vicki Nielsen
Vicki Nielsen
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