There are two distinctly different ways to look at automobile insurance coverage in West Virginia.
First there is the absolute minimum liability insurance that you must purchase in order to legally drive a vehicle. The minimum insurance you are required to buy does not, however, repair your vehicle and it may not cover all medical costs that are incurred as a result of an accident, especially to you or passengers in your vehicle.
The other way of looking at car insurance is in terms of full coverage protection. In order to have true full coverage automobile insurance you need to buy at least four different types of automobile insurance: liability insurance, comprehensive insurance, collision insurance, and personal injury protection insurance.
The minimum liability insurance you must purchase in order to legally drive in West Virginia is what is known as a 20/40/10 liability policy.
What this means is that your insurance will pay up to $20,000 for the medical treatment of any one individual involved in an accident with your vehicle, and your insurance will pay a maximum of $40,000 to cover the medical treatment of all parties injured as a result of a collision with your vehicle. In addition, your insurance will pay a maximum of $10,000 in property damage (this is mainly a payment for the repair or replacement of the other party s vehicle).
There is no guarantee that the state mandated minimum liability insurance will pay for all medical treatment or that it will pay for all property damage that may be caused by an accident. If your liability insurance does not cover all of the actual medical costs or property damage of an accident it is possible that you could be sued for the remainder and you could lose your savings, your home or other assets.
For this reason many people elect to purchase more than the state required minimums.
Also, keep in mind that liability insurance alone pays nothing for the repair or replacement of your vehicle and may not pay for medical treatment for you or others in your vehicle at the time of an accident, particularly if you are deemed to be at fault.
If you finance your vehicle your lender, therefore, will require that you purchase additional insurance in other words, your lender will insist that you have full coverage car insurance.
Full coverage car insurance includes, in addition to liability insurance, collision insurance, comprehensive insurance, and personal injury protection insurance.
Collision insurance covers the repair or replacement of your vehicle if it is damaged in an accident with another vehicle or with a stationary object such as a tree or a guardrail.
Comprehensive insurance covers your vehicle from natural disasters such as wind and hail damage, water damage, damage from falling objects such as tree branches, vandalism and theft. Comprehensive coverage also pays for damage to your vehicle if you strike an animal, such as a deer.
Personal injury protection insurance covers you or passengers in your car for medical needs following an accident.
West Virginia doesn t really offer uninsured motorist insurance coverage, but does allow you to file legal charges against an uninsured motorist, resulting in that motorist not being allowed to drive again until your judgment is paid.
There are a great many variables to consider if you choose to look for a full coverage car insurance quote in West Virginia. The main variable is the amount of coverage you choose in each individual insurance category and that is a decision that must be made based on your assets, your financial situation, as well as other personal considerations.
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