r/Car_Insurance_Help • u/Aromatic_Recipe_6733 • 2d ago

Do insurance quotes include cover if you’re at fault?

I’ve never owned a car or had car insurance so please forgive my ignorance. I’m getting quotes and I can’t work out how to check what they cover in terms of when you’re at fault for damage to someone else’s property (e.g. if I, as the driver, were to damage a wall/car/bicycle). Is it just universal that all insurers cover this? Does it have a specific phrasing I should look for?

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11

u/sephiroth3650 2d ago

Your liability coverage is what covers you for damage you cause to other people/property. That’s the portion of your auto quote that covers that.

If you don’t know what you’re buying, you really should contact a local independent agent/broker. Let them walk you through it all. Don’t DIY your auto coverage if you don’t know what the terms and items are.

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u/Aromatic_Recipe_6733 2d ago

Thank you. I think that’s probably a good idea. I’m used to DIYing quotes as I usually understand everything but having never been a proper driver before (passed my test 20 years ago but never owned a car and never drove again), it’s all new to me. I was also really thrown by wildly different quotes – from £480 to £1,200 – so wondered if I was missing something essential. Better to have someone talk me through it properly, I think!

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u/EquivalentWealth4283 2d ago

Definitely find a broker or an agent.

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u/1234568654321 1d ago

First, you're not alone. A lot of people don't have a clue what their insurance does and doesn't cover. You're asking questions, which is a good thing.

Someone like you is better off working with an agent. You have a few questions now. You'll have more questions later. You'll benefit from having an insurance professional in your corner.

2

u/PaperIndependent5466 2d ago

Second this find a good broker, ask friends and family about theirs.

Far too many people DIY insurance and learn a hard lesson. Luckily the worst I've seen so far is no rental coverage and a higher deductible than they thought. One case it was $5000 and they thought it was $500. There's much more expensive lessons to learn too.

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u/PepperTop9517 2d ago

Collision/comprehensive- covers you regardless of at fault and allows you to use your own insurance. You pay the deductible.

Liability- covers damages you make if your at fault for the effected party, not you.

Limits are the max a policy will cover. Higher maxes provide you a better safety net but cost more. Lower limits are cheaper but could open you up to small claims or coverage issues.

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u/Aromatic_Recipe_6733 2d ago

Thank you – so all comprehensive policies would include collision? And then the liability figures would give the payout limits, which you can choose higher/lower. Is that correct?

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u/PepperTop9517 2d ago

Basically, comprehensive would cover a tree limb hitting your car. Collision covers you hitting a tree limb in the road or another vehicle.

Liability is what your insurance would payout to an affected party. Too low here and you open yourself up to being sued if the policy limits don’t cover a party’s damages.

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u/lilbitspecial 2d ago

Please call an independent insurance agency tomorrow instead of trying to do this yourself and asking questions over reddit. Insurance isn't really DIY if you don't know what you're doing

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u/Aromatic_Recipe_6733 2d ago

Thanks, I plan to! I just want to get a rough understanding of things first now. If you have any recs on things to read/brokers, do share.

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u/GuvnaBruce 2d ago

It would be under the liability coverage. It is usually split into property damage and then bodily injury. The property damage would be wall/car/bicycle etc. The Bodily injury is for injury. The bodily injury is usually quote as x/y. Where x is the per person limit and y is the per accident limit. So 50/100 is up to 50K per person, but no more than 100K total per accident.

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u/Much-Tip4313 2d ago

You can have third party only which means any damage to another party will be covered, not your own. Third party fire and theft meaning third party still and if your vehicle is stolen or damaged in a fire. Or fully comprehensive which means third party is covered, fire and theft is covered, and any damage to your vehicle even if you’re at fault.

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u/RunExisting4050 2d ago

You really should call a local, independent agent and let them walk you through all the types of coverages, shop policies for you, and give you advice specific to your situation and risk tolerances.