Auto Insurance
The right auto insurance policy can help get you back on the road quickly if your car is damaged or destroyed by accident, fire, theft, or other covered event. Your policy may also provide protection against medical and legal expenses resulting from injury, loss of life, or property damage caused by an accident involving your vehicle.
An auto insurance policy is a contract between you and an insurance company. You pay a premium, and in exchange, the insurance company promises to pay for specific car-related financial losses during the term of the policy. Work with us to determine the best coverage for you.
Insurance for cars, trucks, boats and more!
Webb & Associates Insurance Agency can insure your Motorcycle, Classic Car, Motor Home & RV, Boat & Jet Ski, and ATV too! Contact us for more information today!
Tennessee “How much auto insurance is right for you?”
Based in Chattanooga, Soddy Daisy, Hixson, our team contact us understands the auto insurance needs of our customers.
Auto insurance requirements vary by state. In some states, to drive you must carry:
- Liability coverage to pay for losses you cause others, or:
- No-fault coverage to pay you and your passengers for medical and related expenses caused by injuries from a car accident, regardless of who is at fault, or
- Both liability and no-fault coverage.
We write insurance in Tennessee, Georgia & Alabama and would be happy to help you ensure you have the right coverage for where you live.
Even in states where coverage isn’t required, drivers must, by law, be able to pay for losses they cause others. Having insurance is the simplest way for most people to comply. To finance a car, it is usually necessary to have insurance which covers damage to your vehicle. This includes:
Collision Insurance
Collision insurance coverage pays for damage caused to your vehicle in an automobile accident. Standard collision coverage will pay for any repairs up to the fair market value of your car. Collision coverage usually also comes with an insurance deductible. It’s the amount of money you pay toward repairs before your collision insurance kicks in. The higher the deductible you’re willing to pay, the less the collision coverage will cost.
Comprehensive Insurance (Other than Collision)
Comprehensive insurance covers damage done to your car in some way other than a collision, such as if it were stolen or vandalized. Flood, hurricane, theft, windshield damage and fire are also events usually covered by comprehensive car insurance. Like collision, comprehensive will pay up to the fair market value of your car (less your insurance deductible). And although it’s not legally required by any state, you will probably need it if your car is financed.
Every person is unique talk to us today to find out how to get the best price and value on auto insurance for you.
Webb & Associates Insurance Agency: The mission of Webb & Associates Insurance Agency is to provide our Policyholders with as near perfect protection, as near perfect service as is humanly possible and to do so at the lowest possible cost.
Call for a quote today at 423-894-2211.
Can I drive legally without insurance?
NO! Almost every state requires you to have auto liability insurance. All states also have financial responsibility laws. This means that even in a state that does not require liability insurance, you need to have sufficient assets to pay claims if you cause an accident. If you do not have enough assets, you must purchase at least the state minimum amount of insurance. But insurance exists to protect your assets. Trying to see how little you can get by with can be very shortsighted and dangerous.
If you’ve financed your car, your lender may require comprehensive and collision insurance as part of the loan agreement.
Cancellation and non-renewal?
There is a big difference between when an insurance company cancels a policy and when it chooses not to renew it. Insurance companies cannot cancel a policy that has been in force for more than 60 days except:
1. If you fail to pay the premium.
2. You have committed fraud or made serious misrepresentations on your application.
3. Your driver’s license has been revoked or suspended.
Non-renewal is a different matter. Either you or your insurance company can decide not to renew the policy when it expires. Depending on the state you live in, your insurance company must give you a certain number of days notice and explain the reason for non-renewal before it drops your policy. If you think the reason is unfair or want a further explanation, call the insurance company’s consumer affairs division. If you don’t get an explanation, call your state insurance department.
Do I need insurance to rent a car?
Before you rent a car:
1. Contact your insurance company.
Find out how much coverage you have on your own car. In most cases, the coverage and deductibles you have on your personal auto policy would apply to a rental car, providing it’s used for pleasure and not business. If you don’t have comprehensive and collision coverage on your own car, you will not be covered if your rental car is stolen or if it is damaged in an accident.
2. Call your credit card company.
Find out what insurance your card provides. Levels of coverage vary.
What if I lease a car?
If you lease a car, you still need to buy your own auto insurance policy. The auto dealer or bank that is financing the car will require you to buy collision and comprehensive coverage. You’ll need to buy these coverages in addition to the others that may be mandatory in your state, such as auto liability insurance.
If you’ve financed your car, your lender may require comprehensive and collision insurance as part of the loan agreement.
1. Collision covers the damage to the car from an accident with another automobile or object.
2. Comprehensive covers a loss that is caused by something other than a collision with another car or object, such as a fire or theft or collision with a deer.
The leasing company may also require gap insurance. This refers to the fact that if you have an accident and your leased car is damaged beyond repair or totaled, there’s likely to be a difference between the amount that you still owe the auto dealer and the check you’ll get from your insurance company. That’s because the insurance company’s check is based on the car’s actual cash value which takes into account depreciation. The difference between the two amounts is known as the gap.
On a leased car, the cost of gap insurance is generally rolled into the lease payments. You don’t actually buy a gap policy. Generally, the auto dealer buys a master policy from an insurance company to cover all the cars it leases and charges you for a gap waiver. This means that if your leased car is totaled, you won’t have to pay the dealer the gap amount. Check with the auto dealer when leasing your car.
If you have an auto loan rather than a lease, you may want to buy gap insurance to protect yourself from having to come up with the gap amount if your car is totaled before you’ve finished paying for it. Ask your insurance agent about gap insurance or search the Internet. Gap insurance may not be available in some states.
What is in a basic auto policy?
1. BODILY INJURY LIABILITY
This coverage applies to injuries you, the designated driver or policyholder cause to someone else. You and family members listed on the policy are also covered when driving someone else’s car with their permission.
It’s very important to have enough liability insurance, because if you are involved in a serious accident, you may be sued for a large sum of money. Definitely consider buying more than the state-required minimum to protect assets such as your home and savings.
2. MEDICAL PAYMENTS OR PERSONAL INJURY PROTECTION (PIP)
This coverage pays for the treatment of injuries to the driver and passengers of the policyholder’s car. At its broadest, PIP can cover medical payments, lost wages and the cost of replacing services normally performed by someone injured in an auto accident. It may also cover funeral costs.
3. PROPERTY DAMAGE LIABILITY
This coverage pays for damage you (or someone driving the car with your permission) may cause to someone else’s property. Usually, this means damage to someone else’s car, but it also includes damage to lamp posts, telephone poles, fences, buildings or other structures your car hit.
4. COLLISION
This coverage pays for damage to your car resulting from a collision with another car, object or as a result of flipping over. It also covers damage caused by potholes. Collision coverage is generally sold with a deductible of $250 to $1,000-the higher your deductible, the lower your premium. Even if you are at fault for the accident, your collision coverage will reimburse you for the costs of repairing your car, minus the deductible. If you’re not at fault, your insurance company may try to recover the amount they paid you from the other driver’s insurance company. If they are successful, you’ll also be reimbursed for the deductible.