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Arizona requires that every motorist obtain a very minimal amount of auto
insurance; specifically "$15,000 bodily injury liability for one person and
$30,000 for two or more persons, and $10,000 property damage liability".
Body injury liability and property damage liability are "Liability" policies
that only cover damage caused by you to those outside of your vehicle. In the
event that you are cited as responsible for a serious accident (for instance
where somebody requires lengthy therapy to walk again), these policies will not
be adequate to protect you from judgments by the court, which can award sums in
addition to actual medical costs for pain and suffering, or lost income due to a
disabling condition. $500,000 bodily injury per person and $50,000 property
liability are the minimum that anybody should carry to protect themselves from
bankruptcy in the event of a serious accident. For those that can afford it,
those values should be increased to $2 million and $100,000 respectively.
Arizona does not require you to carry uninsured or under-insured motorist
coverage, but it is highly advisable, especially if you travel with passengers
not insured by your policy. Since Arizona has so many drivers that have the low
minimum coverage, and also many illegal-aliens that have no coverage at all, the
odds of being injured in an accident by somebody with inadequate coverage are
higher than they should be. $500,000 per person should be sufficient to cover
any medical expenses for you or your passengers in the event of an accident
cause by a driver with inadequate insurance.
Collision and Comprehensive insurance are more important for more expensive
cars. These policies can be used to repair your car if it is damaged in a
collision or by some other event. The limits should reflect the value of your
car. Raising the deductible on these policies is a strategy to keep costs down,
but once again the value of your vehicle should be considered. Typically people
have a $500 or $1000 deductible.
Glass Coverage is a must for Phoenix drivers. It adds only about $5 a month to
your premium, but will pay for itself within the first six months. Phoenix
freeways are landscaped with gravel, which inevitably blows into the roadway and
is kicked up into windshields. Many Phoenicians replace their windshields twice
a year or more.
Now that you know what coverage you need, it is time to shop. Most of the major
insurance companies can provide rate quotes on the Internet. Let
OnlineAutoInsurance.com help you complete an
auto insurance comparison
from a variety of companies.
You will be asked basic questions about how much you drive, and find out your
age, marital status, and other personal details. This information will help them
determine the risk that you pose for a claim, so that they can provide you with
a quote. You can either choose the least expensive company, or you can
investigate consumer reports if you want to consider who has the best service
and reliability.
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