Have you have had car insurance for years and still don’t know what type of policy you have or what the heck any of it means? Insurance jargon and policies can be confusing. There are a lot of new definitions and lingo that you may not have heard before. How much coverage does someone really need to have anyway? What kind of coverage did you sign up for? What is ‘Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury’ coverage and what does it mean for your pay-per-mile insurance coverage?
We get it; you need insurance but you don’t need to be an insurance expert (unless you want to be!). So we are here to clear up all the questions that your pay-per-mile insurance declaration page may have brought up. From Bodily Injury to Roadside Assistance, here’s what it all means:
- Bodily Injury (BI): If you get into an accident and you, the insured, is legally liable for the accident, this coverage can help. It pays for injuries/death to people involved in the accident, but not limited to, emotional injury or mental anguish resulting from the bodily injury. Also, BI limits will pay for any legal defense cost if you are sued for the accident. The limits of this coverage depend on the limits that you chose to have.
How It Works: There a set limit per person and set limit per occurrence or accident. Once the limit has been exhausted there is no more coverage that can be provided. This coverage is not optional and you must at least have the state minimum limit on your policy. - Property Damage Liability (PD): This coverage is for when you damage someone else’s property with your vehicle. Typically, it is someone’s vehicle, but it can also be applied to other property such a buildings, utility poles, fences and garage doors. Just keep in mind that property can be anything is tangible. This coverage also covers any legal defense and child safety seats if the child was in it at the time of the accident. Again, this coverage is not optional and you must at least have the state minimum requirements.
- Uninsured Bodily Injury (UBI): Pays for injuries if (up to the coverage limit) the insured person and/or other passengers in the vehicle were injured as the result of an accident where the other party is at-fault and is uninsured. If you are involved in a hit-and-run then you must report within 24 hours to the police and file a claim and give a statement within 30 days. This coverage includes medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering costs.
- Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury (UMBI): Very similar to Uninsured, this coverage pays (up to the coverage limit) the insured person and other passengers in the vehicle while they’re insured as the result of an accident where the at-fault driver has inadequate insurance coverage.
Note: For both UBI and IMBI coverage options there are split limits where you can choose a per person limit and a per accident limit.
- Medical Payments: Are hospital bills, funeral expenses, or doctor bills just piling up after your accident? Do you need a see a chiropractor or a psychiatrist afterward too? Regardless of who is at-fault in the accident, Medical Payments will cover the cost up to the limit on the policy.
How It Works: This coverage is optional and driver’s may rely on their own or their passengers’ health insurance to cover resulting injuries too. - Personal Injury Protection (PIP): This coverage is only available in certain states and provides broad protection for medical costs, lost wages, loss of essential service normally provided by the injured person (child care or housekeeping) and funeral costs. PIP coverage can be used regardless of who is at fault in an accident, though some states may require a deductible.
- Comprehensive Deductible: Comprehensive Deductibles are optional. A Comprehensive Deductible will kick in when your car is stolen or damaged in ways that don’t involve a collision. This could be hail damage, glass breakage, fire, vandalism, damage from an animal, flood, earthquakes, falling objects and theft.
How It Works: The deductible amount is the out-of-pocket expense that you agree to pay for losses up to set amount. - Collision Deductible: Similar to Comprehensive Deductibles, Collision Deductibles are optional and can be used for when your car is damaged due to colliding with another object, like a brick wall, a tree, or another car. This coverage protects your car only and not the other party’s property, or injury.
How It Works: The deductible amount is a set amount you agree to pay out-of-pocket if accident falls under collision coverage. - Collision Deductible Waiver: Uh oh, were you in an accident where an uninsured causes damage to your car? The collision deductible waiver waives your collision deductible in this instance.
How It Works: You need the license plate number or name of the person that caused the damage and you must report this claim within 10 days. Keep in mind this coverage is not available in every state. - Underinsured Motorist Property Damage (UMPD): This covers the damage to your vehicle if you are hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver. Some states offer either Collision coverage OR UMPD coverage – but not both.
How It Works: UMPD is not offered in every state and is typically optional coverage. There also might be a deductible required for this coverage, but this information can be found on the declaration page. - Rental Car Reimbursement: Did you get into an accident and need a rental car? This optional coverage can help with that and reimburse you for rental car costs when your vehicle is disabled as a result of a covered accident or loss. The reimbursement amount can vary by insurance company. At Metromile if you have this coverage you can be reimbursed $30 a day up to $900 in total.
How It Works: In most cases, you will need to have comprehensive and collision coverage to have rental car coverage too. - Roadside Assistance: Provides services such as towing (up to a certain amount of towing miles are typically free), flat tire change, locksmith services, and battery jump start to customers. It is definitely worth including on your policy so you will never be stranded.
How It Works: Metromile provides 24/7 roadside assistance as an optional addition to our pay-per-mile insurance offering. Customers can either give us a call or request assistance directly through the Metromile app or dashboard.
Taking the time to understand your pay-per-mile insurance policy can ultimately help you save in the long run. It is better to make sure you are fully covered and protected than having to pay out of your own pocket and regret it later. Your future self will be so appreciative that you took the time and made sure you had the right coverage on your policy. That’s why Metromile lets you check and change your pay-per-mile insurance coverages at any time, through the app or just by giving us a call.
Metromile is trying to make car insurance and car ownership even easier with pay-per-mile insurance and the smart driving app. If you drive less than 200 miles per week (like 65% of the U.S. drivers), Metromile’s pay-per-mile insurance offering could save you hundreds. Even though you’re paying less you still will have the same great coverage you are used to. We offer many different levels of coverages to choose from including, liability, comprehensive and collision. To see what coverage is offered in your states or to see how much you could be savings get a quick free quote.