Many people call me saying they have been in a car accident in an old car for which they did not purchase collision coverage. Usually, the client will say that their insurance agent told them it “isn't worth it” to purchase collision coverage if the car is very old. However, I always ask the client :have you set aside a savings account to pay for a replacement vehicle in the event this “old” car gets destroyed and there is no other insurance to cover the repairs? Nearly everyone says to me that they figure the insurance company for the person who caused the accident should pay for repairing their damage. HELLO??? What if you are the one who caused the accident?

Nobody is perfect and accidents happen. If you cause the accident and your car is a total loss, you won't get a cent from anybody to replace the car, so you need to either set aside at least a few thousand dollars (which you can always use for other purposes later if you don't end up needing it to replace your car) or you need to buy collision insurance. It really isn't that expensive. In addition, many people don't realize that numerous auto insurance companies are writing policies that have LIMITED property damage coverage on them.

If you are in a car accident and a driver with one of these awful limited property damage policies, you may only be able to get a maximum of $5000 for the damage to your car, even if it would cost $10,000 to repair. These limited property damage policies are purchased because they are cheaper than policies which have no limit. The insurance company can charge a lower premium for them. People who buy them are usually in strained financial circumstances and have few if any assets. Do yourself a favor and buy collision insurance on your clunker, or set aside enough money to buy a replacement for your clunker and leave it there until you need it.

For more information on Car Accidents visit the Worthington Law Group website.