It seems that the more I try to avoid hitting a pothole, the more likely I am to actually hit it. I immediately cringe and hope I didn’t just destroy my rim, wheel, or tire! Sometimes, especially at night, it is really difficult to see one, but the unmistakable huge bump and scrape lets you know what just happened.
How does your insurance carrier handle claims regarding potholes? Insurance companies will consider this a collision-type of claim and it will show as an at-fault claim on your claims history.
What should you do if you hit a pothole?
Be sure the car is safe to drive. Your steering may be impacted or you may get a flat tire.
Get an estimate on the repairs to fix the damage done to your wheel.
Depending on your deductible, you may want to fix the damage without filing an insurance claim.
Always discuss claim situations with your agent. They are there to assist you as needed!
When it comes time to rent a car, here are two common questions that customers often ask us:
Do I need to buy the insurance offered by rental car companies?
If I am in a car accident and need to rent a car, am I covered?
Let’s find out the answers.
INSURANCE OFFERED BY RENTAL CAR COMPANIES
You’re standing at the rental car counter and the person helping you asks if you want to buy insurance through them. Do you need it? Ultimately, it’s up to you but in most cases, you probably don’t, as your personal auto insurance should have you covered for liability claims, but your ERIE Agent can tell you for sure. Additionally, If you have collision and comprehensive coverage, you may also be covered for damage to the rental car.
Auto insurance from Erie Insurance is designed to suitably protect you and your family for incidental use of a car that’s not your own, such as a short-term rental of less than 45 days. The coverage extends to cars in the U.S. or Canada. That said, it’s a good idea to check with an insurance adviser like an ERIE agent beforehand since auto policies vary from person to person.
Here are a few questions to ask your agent about insurance and rental car coverage:
Q:When I rent a car for a combined business trip and a personal vacation, am I covered? A: Your personal auto policy may not cover you, but your employer’s insurance might.
Q:If more than one person is driving the rental car, am I covered? A: Your auto insurance likely only covers individuals that are on your policy, such as spouse or kids. So, in this scenario, coverage from the rental company could be a good idea.
Q: If my luggage, purse or personal possessions are stolen out of my rental car, am I covered? A: Maybe. This depends on the details of your individual auto policy. In many cases, personal property may be covered by a homeowners or rental insurance policy, but not by your auto insurance. It may be worth asking an associate from the rental company what their policy is regarding personal property stolen from their vehicles.
Another option to consider: Many credit card companies offer rental car insurance if you pay the rental fee using their card. Just know that this coverage typically only covers physical damage to the rental car, so you’ll still need separate liability coverage. Get in touch with your credit card company to ask for details.
With liability coverage, there are a few things you should consider. Most states have a required minimum amount of liability coverage, which rental car companies are required by law to offer, but that still may not give you enough protection. If you have personal auto insurance and have opted for higher liability limits, you’ll be better protected.
INSURANCE FOR RENTING A CAR AFTER AN ACCIDENT
If your car needs to be in the shop for a while after an accident, you may need to rent a car. Most auto insurance policies offer rental reimbursement coverage for a nominal extra charge, but sometimes auto insurance shoppers skip adding it to their policies.
With ERIE, basic rental car coverage is automatically included in most states if you’ve purchased comprehensive coverage. That means if your car is disabled because of a fire, theft, glass damage or another comprehensive type claim that may be covered under your policy, you’re covered for a compact sedan rental car. If you need a bigger rental vehicle, you could buy additional coverage (details below).
To have rental car coverage while your vehicle is being repaired from collision losses, such as hitting another car or a fence, building or pole, you would need to purchase collision coverage and add the rental car coverage to your policy.
At ERIE, this add-on coverage is called Transportation Expenses. It allows you to select a class of vehicle you want. It’s a nice benefit, because if you are a family of six… a compact sedan is probably not going to work. There are six classes* from which to choose:
Class 1: Compact sedan
Class 2: Traditional sedan
Class 3: Small SUV or pickup truck
Class 4: Minivan or midsize SUV
Class 5: Luxury sedan or large SUV
Class 6: Specially equipped vehicle that can be operated and accessed by an individual with a disability.
Back up collision damage is the largest percentage of accident claims. Nearly everyone has backed up into an object in their driving career. Younger drivers are more prone to making this mistake.
A few helpful tips:
Whenever possible, drive forward into a parking spot where you can drive out forward to avoid backing out of spaces.
Use your mirrors, but also turn around and check all blind spots before moving.
Be aware of what is behind you when you get in your car. Poles, curbs etc often are not visible from inside the car.
If your car has built-in sonar sensors, pay attention to them. Get familiar with your car by walking around back to test the sensitivity is of the vehicle sensors
Install (or use) a backup camera system. Using these systems greatly decrease the instance of a backup accident and claim
When do you have to add your teenager to your auto insurance policy?
This is a question I get asked all the time and I have heard all kinds of wrong answers. Let’s talk about it!
Most insurance companies require that all people that live at your address that have a driver’s license are added to your policy or can show proof that they have a policy of their own. This includes your children.
In Kentucky, a teenager can get a beginner’s permit at 16 years of age. This permit requires that a legal parent or guardian is in the car with them at all time and they must keep a log of hours driven, including night-time hours. You are not required to add them to you policy during this stage.
Can you believe he’s driving already?
After the requirements have been met, a youthful driver can get their intermediate permit. This doesn’t require a parent to ride along and there are some time restrictions that must be followed.
IT IS AT THIS TIME YOU MUST ADD THEM TO YOUR POLICY.
Your rates will definitely go up, but you don’t want to put yourself in a position where a carrier won’t pay a claim because the driver wasn’t added or to be canceled because you didn’t have your new driver added. And, it may not be as expensive as you may think!
Always discuss any changes in your household with your insurance agent so they can make sure you have the proper coverage in place to keep you protected.
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I had a wonderful experience working with Kris! She helped my mom and I get the best coverage for our needs and was very patient with all of our questions. As an insurance agent myself for 8 years who recently switched career paths, it was great working with someone who was knowledgeable and responsive, and I felt like I was in great hands! I look forward to continuing to work with Castle Insurance and feel confident in my change to Erie.
We have been with Castle Insurance for six years now. Chris Castle does an annual review to insure we are getting the proper coverage for our needs. And the been rates. We are thrilled to have her looking out for our best interest.
Working with castle insurance was easy, fast, and straightforward. Kris was very responsive and took calls outside of normal business hours to accommodate me as I lived in a different time zone at the time. The castle insurance team explained every detail of my policies and really streamlined the entire process. I would highly recommend this team!
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