Even for those who are minimalists, a car is a very important part of daily life. It’s more than just a way to get from Point A to Point B; it’s protection for family and friends in transit, it’s a way to haul your groceries, and a way to see the country. And sure, there are other ways to get around, but when something happens to put your car out of commission, it can definitely impact the day-to-day routine. For something that is such an integral part of life, it makes sense that you would want to take measures to protect it—which is a large part of why we carry auto insurance coverage. When it comes time to actually put that policy to use, wading through the legalese can be tough. What most people don’t realize, however, is that your auto insurance policy covers more than you might think.
Liability versus Comprehensive and Collision
Think about your auto insurance as having two parts, the part that protects people and the part that covers vehicles. Liability coverage is the first part and is the only part of auto insurance required of every car owner. Often, if you have a loan or lease, the financing company will require that you carry comprehensive and collision, but it isn’t a legally mandated coverage. The liability coverage is what pays out for the expense of injuries or property damage if you are the one deemed “at fault.”
Comprehensive and Collision, on the other hand, are the two-part coverage that offers assistance toward your vehicle for nearly anything that might happen that isn’t in your control. This could mean a collision with another car, with a deer, or acts of nature, like hail. Your comprehensive and collision coverage are the subsections of your auto policy that provide the payment to repair your vehicle, assuming it wasn’t intentional damage. In terms of auto insurance, liability coverage follows the owner of the policy—for example, if you’re in an accident driving a friend’s car or a rental—while the comprehensive and collision coverage follow the vehicle(s) on the policy.
Comprehensive and Collision Extras
Because comprehensive and collision coverage are options you can opt into, you will generally pay a bit more, but these two options offer a few added benefits you might not expect. Combined, both comprehensive and collision coverage are designed to protect your vehicle from nearly everything but intentional damage and regular wear-and-tear. This generally includes towing your vehicle to a repair shop, if necessary, as well as the costs for the repair itself—minus your deductible.
However, many insurance companies also allow you to add in additional optional coverage if you want it, and it’s usually only a few dollars a month. Towing and labor coverage is extra coverage available on basically any auto insurance policy, as long as there is comprehensive and collision coverage. And it’s a common enough set of help that you probably know by another name: roadside assistance. Towing and labor coverage is additional help you can get to cover the cost of towing and some labor, like having your battery jumped or a flat tire changed. More often than not, the materials themselves are your responsibility, but the cost of a tow or the work itself will be covered by the policy. So, if you are stranded with a flat tire, towing and labor coverage would pay for someone to bring you a new tire and change it for you, but it won’t cover the cost of the tire itself.
At B&B Towing and Recovery, we offer service for when you need it most. Contact us anytime, day or night, for towing or roadside assistance in St. Johnsbury and the surrounding areas. If you have questions about our services or how to apply your insurance coverage, give us a call today!
