No Fault Auto Insurance 101

If you reside in a state that requires drivers to carry no fault car insurance, you may already be familiar with what it is. However, you may simply have it in place without even realizing what it is for, what it covers or how it is helping drivers save money. In fact, even if you live in a state that has made no fault insurance optional, you may want to look into quotes and consider adding it once you read some of the information about this type of car insurance.

Your State and No Fault Auto Insurance

No fault insurance is often times also referred to or known as Personal Injury Protection or PIP. For drivers in some states this type of automobile insurance policy is mandatory. Other states have made this type of policy optional, but once you understand the way it works you may want to add it anyway.

Some of the states in which no fault car insurance is required: Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Utah

Some of the states that have chosen to make no fault insurance optional: Arkansas, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, Wisconsin

The Basics of No Fault Car Insurance

You may even be wondering just what exactly no fault auto insurance is. No fault insurance is a type of insurance that covers each driver in an accident regardless of who was at fault. This was put in place to decrease the amount of lawsuits drivers were placing against one another. Although it has not completely eliminated the need for suits against other drivers, it has significantly reduced the number of such lawsuits.

Another benefit of no fault insurance is that any driver or passenger involved in an automobile accident can seek immediate medical treatment. Otherwise an injured driver or passenger who did not have separate health insurance was often times held up getting treatment due to the need to get clearance from the auto insurance of the at fault driver.

This has also helped insurance providers actually drop the rate of premiums for states that have made no fault car insurance mandatory. By cutting down on the high cost of legal fees, insurance companies are able to offer discounts that reflect on customers’ monthly fees. This has helped customers save a great deal of money over time. We found a very informative guide that goes into more detail about the coverage.

What Is and Isn’t Covered

There are other things that may be covered under a no fault policy, and some of it varies from state to state. There are many things that are not covered though. For this reason, it is important to know about both.

Additional things that may be covered under a no fault policy:

• Death related costs that are a direct result of the accident
• Funeral expenses incurred due to the accident
• Wages lost because of the accident
• Other things may be covered as well

What is generally not covered by no fault policies:

• Pain or suffering not related to physical medical problems
• Emotional distress or anguish
• Public property damage for things like telephone poles or guard rails

How It All Works

When a driver has no fault insurance and is in an accident, automobile repair and medical expenses are covered by the driver’s own insurance policy. The driver’s own insurance carrier steps in and takes care of the expenses no matter who was at fault at the time the accident took place. However once legalities such as the accident investigation are completed, the insurance carrier then may pursue reimbursement from the at fault driver’s insurance.

This has still, however, cut down on the amount of accidents that result in lawsuits to cover expenses. It has also in turn reduced the rates customers must pay to carry insurance. Even drivers who reside in a state that does not require no fault insurance and live in one where this insurance is an option often do benefit from having a no fault policy.

If you reside in a state that requires you to have no fault insurance, you will want to get quotes. You may even reside in an area that has made it optional to get this type of insurance and want to look into this as a possibility for your coverage. Either way, you can get the information you want by simply offering up your zip code and accessing your free quotes.

Find out today what type of premiums you could get for no fault car insurance coverage in your area.