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Money is often tight for college students, and for those who drive to school, it’s tough to decide whether a comprehensive auto insurance policy is worth the higher premiums. This is usually a situation where it’s wise to spend a bit more for greater protection. Here’s why comprehensive auto insurance is crucial for college commuters.
Faster Repairs
If you get in a car accident and it’s the other driver’s fault, their insurance must pay for your damages. When it’s an uninsured motorist, the driver must pay for your damages.
This works in theory, but in practice, it can take weeks or months before the other driver is found to be at fault. And if they don’t have insurance, you’d need to sue them and get a judgement against them. With only liability insurance on your end, you would be left waiting to get your car repaired.
Comprehensive insurance will pay for your repairs while you wait, allowing you to get your car fixed right away and keep driving to school.
Protection for At-Fault Accidents
You also need to consider what you would do if you cause an accident. If you’re a young adult in college, you’re already more likely to be involved in an accident. With only liability coverage, you’d be stuck paying for repairs out of pocket.
It will cost you more in premiums to have comprehensive insurance coverage, but paying a bit more per month is much better than being out thousands of dollars because you caused an accident and only have liability insurance.
Coverage Against Irresponsible Drivers
There are plenty of situations where another driver could cause an accident but not pay for your damages. You could be involved in a hit and run where the other driver takes off. Or you could get in an accident with an uninsured motorist who doesn’t have a job, meaning even with a court judgement, you’d have a tough time getting money from them.
This is where comprehensive coverage will come in handy. No matter the circumstances surrounding your accident, you can be confident that your insurance will pay to have your car repaired.
There are plenty of situations where liability insurance won’t be sufficient. For a college commuter who needs their car to get to school every day, comprehensive insurance coverage is a smart investment that will keep you prepared for any potential worst-case scenarios.
This article was contributed by guest author Eileen O’Shanassy.
