Imagine driving down the road in Coppell or DFW, only for the vehicle in front of you to kick up a small pebble into your windshield. If you’re lucky, nothing will happen and you would have dodged a bullet. Otherwise, a crack might form then and there or the damage may become visible the next day.

A cracked windshield not only represents a rather unattractive flaw, but it also represents a safety hazard that has to be taken care of as soon as possible. If not, the crack can spread across the windshield and become large enough that the entire glass has to be replaced. It’s always a good idea to fix cracks sooner rather than later.

Will My Car Insurance Cover This?

Windshield cracks are usually covered under comprehensive car insurance coverage. In most cases, you’ll have to pay the stated deductible for your policy before the insurer will step in and handle the remainder. This may prevent your insurer from stepping in if you have a high deductible ($1,000 or more), but you’ll most likely benefit if you have a low deductible ($100-$500).

Some states offer zero-deductible windshield replacements. Unfortunately, Texas is not one of those states, but you may be able to have the costs of a windshield replacement taken care of by your insurer if the repair fails to take hold.

Keep in mind that liability insurance won’t be able to cover the costs of repairing your cracked windshield. On the other hand, it will cover such damages to other vehicles affected by your negligence. For more information about cracks and other damages covered by your insurance policy, it’s best to talk to your independent agent. Simply give us a call and we can help you along the process of fixing your windshield quickly and economically.

As your independent insurance agent in Coppell, Texas, we want you to understand everything about your auto insurance policy before you sign on the bottom line. We are in a unique position as we act to connect you with the insurance company. In the interest of full disclosure, we earn our fees from the carriers when we sell a policy.. We also want to treat you fairly and get you the best rates possible so you will continue to do business with us.

Auto insurance companies in DFW, Coppell, and for that matter, all across the country do not readily reveal all of the information you might want to know when buying a policy. It is not that they are dishonest, but rather that they have certain proprietary information they want to protect. If you are persistent and ask the right questions, you can become very well informed about all aspects of auto insurance.

For instance, insurance companies will not tell you precisely how they calculate your premium or why they are charging you more than another customer with the same model car. Each carrier has their own methods of characterizing risk and may use factors like your credit score, the type of neighborhood you live in or any other metric that they choose.

Some independent agents will recommend a specific carrier because they earn a higher commission from that carrier and not because it offers you the best policy. Most insurers will total your vehicle if the cost of repairs due to an accident are more than 70 percent of the repaired value. They also tend to low ball the totaled amount they offer to settle the claim.

Be sure to ask what discounts an auto insurance company offers because agents do not always bother to offer such information. You must realize that insurance companies are in business to make as much money as they can for their share holders. Watch out for agents who gently try to persuade you to carry more liability coverage than you need or encourage you to get a low deductible.

Finally, if you are involved in a serious accident and your insurance agent tells you not to worry because they will take care of everything, it is reason to be concerned. If you want the best settlement, you might want to consider talking to an attorney first.

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.