9 Ways to Save on Auto Insurance in Lynchburg, VA

People new to comparing rates online will discover buying cheap Lynchburg auto insurance is more work than they anticipated.

It’s a great practice to compare rates at least once a year because insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the lowest price last year you may be paying too much now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate how to use the internet to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.

If you have a policy now or are just looking to switch companies, you can use these techniques to reduce the price you pay and still get good coverage. Pricing the cheapest protection in Lynchburg is quite easy. Virginia consumers only need an understanding of the best way to compare prices on the web.

Don’t miss these nine discounts

Companies that sell car insurance do not list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of both the well known and also the lesser-known discounts you could be receiving. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Driver Safety – Taking a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
• Anti-theft System – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
• Payment Method – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
• Accident Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents can earn big discounts when compared with frequent claim filers.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• Discount for New Cars – Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
• Distant Student – Children who live away from home without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
• Memberships – Participating in a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for auto insurance.
• Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.

It’s important to note that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.

More detailed Virginia auto insurance information can be read at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Visitors are able to read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about a company, and read industry bulletins.

Car insurance coverage information

Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits (25/50/20 in Virginia), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.

Insurance for medical payments – Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for immediate expenses such as surgery, prosthetic devices, dental work, doctor visits and pain medications. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things like hitting a deer, theft, vandalism, rock chips in glass and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The highest amount your auto insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Collision coverages – Collision coverage covers damage to your vehicle caused by collision with an object or car. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against things like rolling your car, sideswiping another vehicle and driving through your garage door. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Auto liability insurance – This can cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability can pay for claims like emergency aid, loss of income and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford. Virginia state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/20,000 but drivers should carry more liability than the minimum.

Do the work, save more money

Cheap auto insurance is attainable online and with local Lynchburg insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

We just showed you many tips how you can get a better price on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the lowest premiums are with a small local company.

Insureds change insurance companies for any number of reasons including unfair underwriting practices, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, lack of trust in their agent or even poor customer service. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding the right auto insurance provider is not as hard as you think.