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Think about how long it took for tougher drunk-driving laws. Or think about how anyone with a body temperature of 98.6 can pass our ridiculously simple driving tests and go out any buy a 600 HP car. Scary stuff.
Other poster: people CAN suffer injuries at what most call a "low speed collision"...while this does not always happen, I had a client who fractured a cervical vertebra (i.e.broken neck) at being rear-ended at 10-15 mph...all you need is a 10-15 mph differential and the "whiplash effect" snaps your neck back and forth (or side to side) and can cause injury...yes, some do fake it, but the biomechanics of a low speed collision still can cause injury to the spine, and, no, seatbelts do NOTHING to stop that injury...some folks say that seatbelts ENHANCE the injury by holding your body in place, but that is preferable to having your body fly thru the windshield, a la Jayne Mansfield...
Thanks for your help
Reason for Non renewal: Insured uncooperative following claim.
The car: a 12 y.o. bmw 528i, really nice condition, super low miles. The Amica agent said they would price the "retail value" at $8300.
One reason I'm thinking of the Limited collision coverage is that I've been putting on less than 1000 miles a year. However it is Metro-Boston area, with crazy drivers & all. I've had quite a few minor bashes on my various cars over many years--all the other drivers fault. The one time a car I owned was almost totaled--a guy rear-ended me, & stuck around, so even Limited collision would have paid I believe.
So at current prices, over 10 years I'd save $1830 by going with the Limited collision, vs. the $1k deductible--that's not nothing. I know it's a crap shoot, but what would anyone else do? TIA for any thoughts.
My general rule of thumb about this is to drop collision when the car's value hits about $5000.
You are still above that by a bit, so I guess I'd still keep collision if I were you.
Since you drive very little, and since you wouldn't need collision insurance of any kind if someone hit you and it was THEIR fault, and since you are obviously a careful driver and not likely to smash up your own car, I think I'd keep the $1K deductible until such time as the car's value drops under $5K, then I'd go with the limited collision.
There's too little difference between $1K and $2K deductible to bother with that IMO.
My nsurance company estimates $3K damage without opening the trunk, which is sealed shut to keep out rain/snow. I was hit by a CRV which was rammed into me by a speeding hybrid (that car was totalled). Damage could be over $3K if they find something upon opening it, plus it's a unibody, so I don't know if impact damaged that. Even if I get this fixed 'perfectly', I'm sure its value will be lesser due to being in an accident if I try to sell it privately or use it as a trade-in
Does anyone have any advice on what I should do? I live in Connecticut, if that makes a difference on the laws.
Thanks!
The difference between the $28 and the $211 is not really a lot, considering what it would cost to fix your car if you caused the collision...even if money is tight, I would just keep the $1K deductible on full collision and be done with it...
So I recently went through the process of seriously researching coverage now that my wife and I are moving onto the same policy.
Her previous coverage was 500k CSL, my previous coverage was 250/500/100 - comprehensive, collision, and underinsured motorist deductibles were $500 for each of our policies and we had underinsured motorist coverage of $50,000 (each our cars are worth <$25k) and $35k PIP. We are each ticket free/accident free for 5 years. The quotes we got ranged widely and we ended up on settling with Travelers through our AAA agency - side note: Travelers came in $500/year cheaper than our next best quote from Safeco and saved us $200/yr on our renters insurance/umbrella. Here is my question: How do you know when you have enough coverage? Obviously more is better is the philosophy. At first I thought the cost differential would be huge, but here is how it broke down:
250/500/100 : $1274/year (for both cars, both drivers)
500/500/500: $1314/year (both cars, both drivers)
We went with the 500/500/500 coverage because it seemed silly not to for such little cost differential, but I'm still curious if its totally overkill....
Obviously, one can see the possibility of overkill, yet, if you caused a wreck and 2 or 3 people died, having 5 million may not be enough, yet we simply have to take chances.
My policy is a base of 100/300/100 with a million $$$ umbrella (the umbrella is $150 a year, so cost is not really a big issue)...
Then, you could go completely uninsured and be judgment-proof if you live in a tent and drive a car, but the responsible thing to do is to have at least 100K (IMO) which will cover 95% of most accidents...
Altho last year I had a case where it was a simple rear end collision, with the trunk ending up in the back seat...3 occupants in the struck car, which then rear-ended the car in front, so a total of 5 injured parties, 2 minor and 1 moderate and 2 serious...the liability olicy was 50/100...one guy did break his neck, so he got the first 50K (his neck surgery was $75K) and the others split the last 50K...my client had two injured lumbar discs, but since he was the last to settle, the liability policy only had $8,000 left for him...had the at-fault party had 100/300 it would have been better, and an umbrella policy would have been MUCH better...
Depends on your point of view who won...the at-fault party was not sued, since he was a 25 year old with no assets...so, you could say he got away with having a mediocre policy, but, if I was the one who caused those injuries, I would want to be sure they were adequately compensated...part of it is a moral issue, and some folks just want the state minimum of $25K liability...
Thanks!
Any suggestions here?
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Actually, that's only partially correct. I didn't play fair.
You're screwed if you have UM but no collision / comp AND you can't identify the culprit.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
The Sandman :confuse:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Does your insurance policy cover what's in your trunk if your car is stolen?
HINT: It's all in the very teensy fine print.
Something else to check into, a rider that I have...you say you have a 1 mil umbrella policy, and that is good...you need to check and see if that 1 mil policy is only for your liability to others...I believe you also need (and I have) a 1 mil umbrella for my Uninsured/Underinsured policy, which also has base limits of 100/300...my company (Cincinnati) sells them separately, so a umbrella policy for liability (what I may do to others) and what others may do to me (U/M)...this way, if I am seriously injured, and the other clown has no insurance or minimum coverage (25K), I can collect from my own U/M policy for my injuries caused by him...remember, if he is a worthless piece of trash, I can get my million dollar judgment against him, but how will I collect???
Hence, the need for the million dollar umbrella U/M policy...some comapnies combine the umbrellas into one umbrella policy, but I will bet you many folks out there have great coverage for their liability, but have moderate coverage for U/M...100/300K is good, but, since anyone may be seriously injured, it was only another $155/year to cover MY injuries up to one million $$$...
Food for thought...
Mr. Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
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Anne Murray... wow.. :P
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2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
That van might as well have had such a sign. It had a sink & fridge in the middle, and a bench seat in back that folded flat. It was a repo that my dad got a deal on.
Date stamp in the corner says August '84, so no idea what the occasion was. Of course in our family, it wouldn't be out of the question that that photo was taken at Easter and the film not developed until August.
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And pain is all around (clack clack) like a bridge over (clack clack) troubled water (clack clack)...
Yeah, I remember 8 track.... :P
My first new car in '77 came with just an AM radio.. Off to the local car stereo installer for a Pioneer Super tuner AM/FM 8-Track. :P
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