Auto accidents are common in and around Coppell and the DFW area, especially those that result in personal injury. If you find yourself laid up in the hospital after an accident, it’s always good to know that your auto insurance will handle all of the bills and leave nothing that has to be paid for out-of-pocket. Having medical payment coverage added onto your policy beforehand can help you handle those medical costs and other expenses.

Medical payment coverage, also known as personal injury protection or PIP, covers a variety of medical expenses after a loss, including doctor’s visits, hospital stays, surgery and X-rays. It also covers EMT and ambulance costs, as well as professional nursing care and even funeral costs. PIP coverage isn’t just limited to medical payments – it also covers lost income and child care expenses while you heal.

PIP doesn’t just protect you in the event of a loss – it also extends to other occupants in the vehicle at the time of the accident. Family members who were behind the wheel of your insured vehicle during that time are also covered under PIP.

Personal injury protection isn’t required in the state of Texas, but it can come in handy if you get into an accident and have to take care of medical payments. You might even think you don’t need PIP if you already have health plan coverage, but here’s some food for thought – PIP can help take care of your health plan’s deductible. Your health plan may not cover all occupants in the event of an accident, either.

As your independent agent, we can help you answer a wide variety of questions regarding medical payments and personal injury protection. If you’re ready to add this protection onto your current auto insurance policy, we can make that happen.

If your vehicle is hit in a parking lot, you may become instantly frustrated. How could this happen? Who is going to pay for the damage? If you have a quality auto insurance policy in place, you may have the help you need right there. These tips can help you.

Handle the Parking Lot Hit and Run

The first step to take if you are the victim of a parking lot hit and run is to call the police. Even for small problems, do not leave the scene. Instead, contact the police immediate to file a police report. This establishes what happened and can help the police to determine, if possible, who caused the accident. Many parking lots have cameras that can help the police to track down who did the damage to your car.

The next step is to contact your insurance agency to file a claim. In most cases, they will want to come to the scene of the accident to inspect what happened, especially if there is a significant amount of damage. Otherwise, they will rely on the police report. The insurance adjuster will then work with you to determine what amount they will pay for the repairs needed. You may need to get quotes from several auto repair companies.

Is Your Insurance Company Not Helping You?

If you find that your insurance agent is not helping you with your hit and run, it may be time to look for a new one. Turn to an independent agent in Coppell, Texas and the surrounding area. Our team will work with you to ensure you have an insurance policy that protects you from incidents like this. You don’t have to suffer at the hands of someone else’s negligence. We can help you to avoid this.

While liability insurance is a mandated requirement for those who live in and around Coppell, Texas, this may not be the only insurance needs you have. If you have a car loan, or you value your car itself, you may want to have comprehensive coverage. A comprehensive policy will cover the value of your car, if you were in an at-fault accident and also cover other issues that cause damage to your vehicle.

What else can damage your vehicle? This could be something like an act of God—a windstorm, hail, falling tree, etc. However, it could also be something like vandalism, theft or a pebble coming up from the road and cracking your windshield. Comprehensive coverage is a broad insurance type that will protect you in any possible scenario.

Depending on the value of your car, you may have more or less coverage from this type of policy. Only by speaking with an independent agent of ours can you determine your exact needs and get the maximum possible coverage at a rate you can afford.

If you haven’t yet talked to an agent, the basics of comprehensive coverage is that it will pay the actual cash value of the damage minus your deductible. Because of this, the maximum coverage you can have is the value of your car. The main difference in policy occurs in how large of a deductible you carry.

A good rule of thumb is to never carry comprehensive coverage on a vehicle that will cost more to repair than it is worth. Like most insurance issues, speaking directly with an agent is the best way to get all your ducks in a row. There are many great agents in the Coppell, Texas area that are happy to help you with all your decisions.

Although many Texas homes have garages, you may not have access to a garage or have space in yours to park your car. As your independent agent in Coppell, we will be able to get you the best deal on comprehensive insurance coverage if you park your car in a garage, but there are other practices that can similarly protect your car from weather and other hazards.

Steel Carport: If you don’t have a garage, a steel carport is the next best thing. The strong material will protect your vehicle from hail, piles of snow, falling limbs, and other hazards that come with each season. It will also keep your paint in good condition under the hot Texas sun.

Car Cover: Another way to protect your car, especially if you don’t drive it for a season, is to use a car cover. The thick fabric protects it from scratches and other damage and helps keep the paint in good shape. It can also provide some protection against bad weather.

Driveway: Parking your car in a driveway is much better than parking it on the street. It’s less susceptible to theft because it is closer to your home. You can also install motion sensitive lights to further reduce the chance of theft. In addition, cars parked in driveways are less likely to be hit by passing vehicles.

Anti-Theft Devices: Any anti-theft system or device you install in your car can help provide another deterrent against theft without having to park in a garage. Consider an alarm system, steering wheel lock, or other anti-theft device.

When you’re getting a car insurance policy in Coppell, let one of our independents agent know which of these strategies you use. You may qualify for lower rates, and at the very least, you know you’re doing everything you can to protect your car.

Auto insurance policy backdating is a topic that confuses many policyholders. The facts are that this means that a Coppell, Texas insurance agent puts a date on the policy that is earlier than when the policy actually takes effect. This is something that many drivers think is a simple matter. However, for an insurance agent, this is not something to be taken lightly.

Backdating a policy like this means that the independent agent says the customer has insurance at a time they did not actually have it. This is not only illegal, it is actually a form of insurance fraud. The company could land itself in hot water if it was found out that they backdated the policy. Another concern is not just that the company could get into legal trouble, but if the driver had an accident during the time the policy was backdated, the company would have to pay.

Upfront and honest insurance agents cannot and will not backdate a policy like this. You may wonder, why would a customer even want this? Well, mainly it is because there is often a fee attached when the customer goes uninsured.

The best way for a customer to avoid this problem and therefore avoid even the idea of backdating a policy is by keeping up with the current insurance. Sometimes it may be a matter of not being able to make a payment. If this is the case, the policyholder may be able to work out a payment plan with his or her agent or insurance company.

Insurance is important. Not only does it protect you monetarily in case of an accident, most states have certain requirements that must be met, and driving without insurance can result in a ticket or even losing your driver’s license—something that no driver wants to face.