In Santa Maria and in all California cities, it is required that residents maintain vehicle insurance before they operate an auto. The vehicle insurance required by the California Insurance Code is fairly basic. It includes: $15,000 in liability coverage for injuries or death of one person, $30,000 in liability coverage for injuries or death of more than one person, and $5,000 for any damage to property (vehicle damage) per accident.
This coverage can all be obtained in what is commonly termed a “state minimum” or “liability only” policy. While having such a policy does assure the driver that they are staying within California state law, it provides no coverage at all for the driver themselves. Any damages they suffer, and any damages to the driver’s own vehicle, will be entirely their own responsibility in the case of an accident or other damage.
Since a liability only policy is so narrow in terms of driver protection, most people elect to add both collision and comprehensive insurance to their car insurance coverage. Collision insurance is meant to cover damages that happen during an accident, whether one that involves another car or a stationary object. Comprehensive coverage is designed to be there for nearly all other situations in which damage to the vehicle could occur. For example, collision insurance would pay for repair if the car was in a wreck, regardless of who caused that wreck. Comprehensive insurance would pay for a new vehicle if a vehicle was stolen and was unrecoverable. Because these two types of coverage deal with such different circumstances, most drivers in California feel that an equal balance of liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage tends to work well.
The cost of liability only coverage is usually very low, but that low price may be meaningless if the driver causes a wreck and has to pay many thousands of dollars out of pocket for their own damages. Ask your insurance agent how you can combine the three coverage types for the ideal policy. If you are ready to buy Car Insurance In Santa Maria at a reasonable price, consider talking to the team at Coast Auto Insurance. Find their website at online today.
