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Insurance Definitions

Auto Definitions

  • Bodily Injury Liability – Pays when you are legally liable for injury or death caused by your vehicle. Legal fees, bail bonds and court costs are also included. Pays up to the first limit for each person and up to the second limit, maximum, for all persons injured or killed in any accident when you are legally liable. Some policies are “Single Limit” which means Bodily Injury and Property Damage are all in one “Single” limit. $100,000 Single Limit means maximum coverage available for any one accident is $100,000 including BOTH BI and PD.
  • Property Damage – Pays when you are legally liable for damage to the property of others caused by your vehicle. In a “Single Limit” policy the PD would be limited to that amount, along with any BI that would have to be paid also.
  • Medical Payment’s – Pays medical, dental, and hospital expenses for you, household relatives and guest passengers injured in a motor vehicle accident. Also protects you and household relatives in other vehicles or if struck as pedestrians
  • Uninsured Motorist Coverage – Pays damages that you, household relatives and passengers in the insured motor vehicles are legally entitled to recover because of Bodily Injury or death caused by uninsured or hit-and-run motor vehicles. Pays up to the first limit for any one person and up to the second limit for all persons injured or killed in an accident. This could also be Single Limit coverage.
  • Underinsured Motorist Coverage – Pays you, household relatives, and passengers in your insured motor vehicle against damages arising out of accidents with motorists who have motor vehicle insurance with lower limits of liability coverage than those damages suffered by you. Pays up to the first limit for one person and up to the second limit for all persons injured or killed in one accident
  • Comprehensive Coverage – Pays for loss or damage to your vehicle caused by fire, theft, vandalism, hail, windstorm, riot, falling objects, flood, etc. The deductible applies to all damage. Does not pay for Collision or Upset.
  • Collision Coverage – Pays for loss or damage to Your vehicle caused by collision with another object or by upset of the vehicle. Payments are made on and “actual cash value” basis for the amount of each loss. Your deductible for this coverage applies first.
  • Towing and Labor Cost – Pays any reasonable amount for each claim for towing your vehicle and any labor costs at the place of disablement. Does not pay for parts or subsequent repair costs.
  • Rental Reimbursement – Pays towards expenses to rent a vehicle if you have a loss that is covered under your Comprehensive or Collision coverage. Pays up to the first limit per day, but not more than the second limit each loss.
  • Tort Option’s -“If you choose limited tort, you and members of your household may not sue for pain and suffering or other nonmonetary damages unless there is a *serious injury (as defined below) or the injuries are caused intentionally by the other driver, an out-of-state vehicle or an uninsured or convicted intoxicated driver. You may, however, sue for medical and out-of-pocket expenses. If you choose this option, you save money on your premium in exchange for limiting your right to sue.
    *Serious injury is defined as an injury resulting in death, serious impairment of body function or permanent serious disfigurement.
    If you choose full tort you and members of your household have an unrestricted right to sue for injuries caused by other drivers. You can seek financial compensation for pain and suffering and other nonmonetary damages. This coverage option is more expensive than the limited tort choice.”

Homeowners Definitions

  • Dwelling Coverage– is the part of your home owners insurance policy that may help pay for the rebuilding or the repair of the physical structure of your home if it’s damaged by a covered hazard.
  • Sewer & Drain – “water or sewage which backs up through sewers or drains or which enters into and overflows from within a sump pump, sump pump well or any other system designed to remove subsurface water which is drained from the foundation area
  • Personal liability – insurance is a component of a homeowners (all types) or renters insurance policy. Liability will cover the cost of damages that you or other people covered by your insurance policy are responsible for causing. The personal liability portion of your policy will also cover the cost of defending a lawsuit if you are sued as well as any resulting judgments coming out of the lawsuit, up to your policy limits.
  • Siding & Roof Restoration – The purpose of this coverage is simple: to reimburse the insured for the cost of replacing undamaged siding and/or roofing of the dwelling and other structures when the materials found on the covered loss area are no longer available.
  • Loss of use coverage covers any additional living expenses, meaning any necessary expense that exceeds what you normally spend. For example, you usually spend $300 per month for groceries. While your home is being repaired, you spend $400 a month since you have to dine out instead of cook at home.
  • Personal Property – (sometimes called contents insurance) is the part of your homeowners policy you use for the belongings in your home, like electronics, furniture, and clothing
  • Service Line coverage pays to repair or replace homeowner-owned, exterior underground water and sewer piping, electrical service lines and data lines that fail or are accidentally broken.
  • Equipment Breakdown Coverage – loss caused by, resulting from, or consisting of an electrical, mechanical, or pressure systems breakdown, will be covered.