A Flood Of Insurance: Do You Need Flood Insurance For Your Car?
If you're a homeowner who has just gotten flood insurance for your home, that's good -- you need insurance that covers flooding specifically because homeowner's and renter's insurance policies tend not to cover damage caused by flooding. However, what a lot of people don't realize is that flood insurance won't cover damage to your car. You have to be sure that you're carrying comprehensive coverage on your auto policy -- and not everyone does.
All-Around Coverage, but Not Legally Required
Comprehensive coverage, which covers damage that isn't from someone hitting you or you hitting someone, isn't legally required in every state. Unfortunately that means not a lot of people have this coverage because they see dropping it as a way to lower their car insurance premiums. If you have only the legal minimum coverage for your state, and a flood hits, your car won't be covered.
Optional but Necessary
Even if comprehensive coverage is legally optional, it's really necessary if you want to protect your car and your finances should damage occur. Flooding, for example, can happen anywhere -- you don't have to live in a hurricane zone or along the coast to experience it. Anything from a broken fire hydrant to unusual rains can create a watery mess.
Juggling Costs
If you had decided to go without comprehensive coverage in order to save money, there are other ways to cut your premium cost while still having comprehensive added to your policy. Take a look at your deductible first. Upping the deductible to the next bracket can cut your monthly costs. So can reducing or eliminating other optional coverage. For example, if you live in an area with good public transportation, and you walk and take the bus a lot anyway, you might not need rental car reimbursement coverage.
Just remember that if a flood hits, and you don't have comprehensive coverage, you get to pay for the car's repair yourself. That can cost way more than your premiums each year. Don't get caught without coverage if you aren't willing to shoulder the repair cost.
If you have other questions about comprehensive coverage and flood coverage for your car, contact your insurance agent. Double-check that your particular policy allows for flood damage to be covered and find out what your dollar limits are. Your agent will help you adjust your policy and your payments so that your premiums are easy to afford. Contact a business, such as Heritage Insurance Agency, for more information.
Share
