April 9, 2011
No Fault Insurance : What are the Disadvantages?
A no fault car insurance policy will pay for your automobile accident losses, regardless if you are not at fault for the accident. Nevertheless, I have found 3 main downsides of having a no fault insurance policy.
The first problem is that…
1. You Still Have to Cover Car Damages
Despite what people think, a no fault insurance policy doesn’t really pay off all of your damages. If you were in a accident, you might still have to pay for your vehicle repair.
This is because the policy only will pay for your car accident injury fees and lost working income source. If you’d like cash for any car repairs, you will have to proceed with the same basic steps as someone who lives in a fault state.
Consequently you would have to start up a car accident claim with the other vehicle driver’s liability car insurance or collect cash from your own auto collision coverage.
The problem with this is that getting money for your auto repair could be unclear and irritating. Plenty of people don’t realize exactly how the claims process works. They make way too many simple and easy mistakes that finish up costing them a ton of money. Most people do not understand that the insurance company works hard to give them the minimum settlement possible because, they are after all, a business looking for profit.
Because of that, many car owners have complained about getting low settlement checks that will not entirely take care of their repair prices.
You can avoid the frustration of starting an auto accident claim against another vehicle owner by getting compensation from your own collision coverage. Nonetheless, in this scenario you will have to pay your auto insurance deductible, which is generally almost $500 per auto accident claim.
The next problem with a no fault car insurance policy is that it….
2. Doesn’t Necessarily Pay All Your Medical Bills
Should you be injured in a collision, your no fault car insurance policy will simply cover your medical charges up to your insurance policy limits.
If your medical charges are more than your policy limits, you’ll need to start an car accident claim with the other driver’s auto insurance company.
Additionally, before you can get going with your insurance claim, you must exceed your no fault state’s minimum cash threshold. This cash threshold is the minimum amount your medical charges must be before you can file a car accident claim against another vehicle driver.
Almost every no fault state has a different cash threshold. So before you even start seriously considering filing an auto insurance claim, you will have to check if your total medical fees fulfill your state’s threshold requirements. Or else you will likely need to pay for your costs from your very own own pocket, which sometimes can easily set you back a lot of money.
The third problem with having a no fault car insurance policy is that….
3. You Do Not Get Money for Pain and Suffering
Having a no fault policy prevents you from being paid out for your pain and suffering as a consequence of automobile accident.
This is a big problem with this insurance policy because in practically all personal injury settlements, the biggest amount of your cash settlement is a result of your pain and suffering.
If you’re seriously injured and want extra cash, you have to meet your state’s “injury threshold”. This injury threshold is essentially the state looking at your injuries and deciding on if they are serious enough to start a personal injury claim.
As you can tell, the question of “serious” vs “non serious” injuries is often rather subjective. If your state is convinced your injuries aren’t absolutely serious, then you will not be able to be compensated for your injuries.
That is why its essential you fully understand your no fault state’s requirements and the way to calculate your personal injury settlements.
Read more about insurance claims and injury settlements
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