Buying liability insurance for your automobile is about so much more than getting the answer to the question “How much is liability insurance for a car?” The problem is that different people will need different types of liability coverage, different amounts of liability coverage, and have other extenuating circumstances that can impact the price of your liability protection. These are a few of the key details that might affect the cost of liability insurance for your vehicle when you are in the market for auto insurance.
Types of Liability Protection You Need
There are typically two primary types of liability car insurance available to drivers on the road today:
- Bodily Injury Liability
- Property Damage Liability
The first covers the costs associated with injuries resulting from the accident and the second helps to cover the costs of repairing property damaged in the accident such as other vehicles, fences, garage doors, etc.
You need both types of liability protection to ensure that you can pay for damages you are found “at fault” for in an accident. The key is in getting sufficient liability protection to cover your needs and your level of comfort in that protection. This will vary from one person to the next.
Amount of Coverage
Another factor that will impact the cost of your liability car insurance is the amount of liability protection you’re purchasing. Many people stick with minimal liability protection, but that is rarely sufficient to meet the needs of a major accident. You can increase your liability protection and may even want to consider an umbrella policy for additional liability coverage if you are concerned about lawsuits or have frequent accidents – or a teen driver.
Driving Record
Your history behind the wheel may have a bigger impact than you realize on your insurance costs. The frequency of claims you’ve filed plus your record of traffic violations can all add up to higher premiums for liability insurance coverage.
Your Credit Score
Perhaps the biggest surprise to drivers is the impact your credit score has on your liability insurance costs. Insurance companies use complex formulas to determine risk and assess premium costs. Your credit score is one of the primary factors used to determine your auto insurance premiums so work to get that under control before you shop around for your next auto insurance policy.
Once you know the things that affect your liability insurance costs you can take action to get those costs under control and find the policy that offers the perfect marriage of cost and coverage to meet your needs. It’s always a good idea to compare auto insurance by getting quotes from top carriers.
