The Truth About “Full Coverage” Auto Insurance

Think you have “Full Coverage” auto insurance? If you bought your policy online… think again.

You might be surprised to learn that your “full coverage” policy might be anything but that. Marty Judnich is here to share the truth about full coverage auto insurance in Montana.

 

Know before you buy

Many people who have been in an auto accident are surprised to learn that the “full coverage” insurance policy they bought at an insurance office or online doesn’t actually provide the coverage they need.

Uh oh.  

After an accident takes place is not the time to learn that your “full coverage” insurance only protects the other driver, not you. Insurance policies are full of complicated words that mean very different things. 

Here is why you should let the Judnich Law Office review your policy FOR FREE. 

 

What exactly is “full coverage” insurance? 

The term “full coverage” doesn’t actually exist in insurance lingo. Instead, there are 3 main categories of a policy that are the most important:

  1. Liability coverage and uninsured coverage
  2. Medical payment coverage
  3. Comprehensive and collision coverage

If you have all of these categories, that is what we’d consider full coverage. Here is what each category means:

 

Liability Coverage 

This is insurance that protects other people if you are at fault for a crash. It’s how much money your company will pay someone else if you injure them. You do not get access to any money under liability coverage – it does not protect you

In Montana, the legal minimum amount of liability coverage is $25,000. You can get more, but you legally cannot get less. 

 

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

This is insurance that does cover you in the event a crash is not your fault – and when the other driver doesn’t have any insurance. This happens more than you think. Uninsured motorist coverage is self-explanatory and is a MUST these days.

Recent data shows that almost 15% of all car accidents are caused by uninsured drivers.

Uninsured motorist coverage protects you and any passengers in your car. The more you have, the better. 

 

Medical Payment Coverage or Med Pay

Another important type of insurance to consider is medical payments coverage, or med pay.  This is referred to as “no-fault” insurance because it covers your accident-related medical expenses whether the accident was your fault or the other driver’s fault.  

It even covers you if you’re a pedestrian hit by a car!

This is money that pays for your medical bills, even if the crash was your fault. It is vital you have this coverage to protect you and anyone in your car. 

Most online or discount insurance companies will try to avoid automatically providing this coverage because it costs them money. Always insist on this coverage, and if you can’t get it at a reasonable rate, look somewhere else. 

 

Comprehensive and Collision Coverage

Also called Comp & Collision, this is coverage that covers your car — not you. 

Most people look at this coverage as being “full coverage” because Comp & Collision is the type of insurance that is required by a bank for a car loan

Think about it, the bank cares about the car, not you. So, the bank requires coverage to repair the car if there is a crash, whether it is your fault or not. 

  • Comprehensive coverage pays to repair or replace your car if it’s damaged by anything other than a collision crash – like theft, flooding, hail, etc. 
  • Collision coverage pays to repair or replace the car when it is involved in a crash, regardless of fault. This is where you have to pay your deductible to have the car repaired. 

Neither of these protects you, only the car. 

 

Get a Free Consultation From The Judnich Law Office

If you’ve been in an accident in Montana, Arizona, or Washington, you deserve an experienced law firm that can help ensure no one takes advantage of you.  

Contact the Judnich Law Office today for a free consultation and find out how we can handle the insurance companies for you. We can also provide a FREE review of your auto insurance policy, too!