Yes, state law sets the minimum amount of auto insurance coverages but you may want more. We can help you find the coverages you want at a price you can afford. We try to make it easy for you to customize your car insurance.
Required auto insurance coverages.
These pay for damages or injuries to other people and/or their property caused by an accident you're found at fault for.
Washington state only requires:
The amount of protection for these coverages can be increased above state minimums. You may want to consider the kind of cars you typically see around town. If you're in an area where people drive expensive cars, do you have enough coverage to fix or replace one (or more) of them if you cause an accident?
Additional car insurance coverages.
Although not required by the state, these coverages provide you with an extra layer of protection. These coverages normally take care of damages and/or injuries to you:
Would you be able to pay to repair or replace your vehicle if it's damaged from an accident? If someone in your car was hurt in an accident, do you want your car insurance to help pay the medical bills?
Extra car insurance coverages
These cover expenses that may not break the bank if you had to pay them out of pocket but are nice to have.
If your car is in the shop for 3 weeks after a covered accident, would you need a rental car? At $40 or $50 a day that expense can add up fast.
Shopping around for car insurance can result in savings, but many car owners rarely get price quotes from other insurance companies.
The three reasons people shop around:
The best car insurance is the one that has the coverage you want at a price you can afford. Some drivers might want the most basic Washington car insurance, others might want more coverage, and still others might be looking for an auto insurance company they know they can trust. Let us help you customize your Washington car insurance.
Sometimes getting the best car insurance means adding extra coverage in order to get more protection or guard against unexpected out-of-pocket expenses.
Here are some other auto insurance types to consider.
To accurately compare auto quotes across insurers, you'll want to select the same set of coverages, limits and deductibles for each quote.
Choose your coverage
Consider your state's requirements and any specific coverage types you might want, like collision or comprehensive.
Consider your limits
Think about your personal needs as well as state laws when choosing your coverage limits.
Select your deductible
Coverage can come with a deductible, or the amount you'll pay toward a claim.
An insurance policy is more than just car insurance. It's personalized help from agents who help keep you driving forward. Get a car insurance quote and begin saving on your insurance needs.
Coverage & PoliciesAsk us about all the different ways we can help protect your car.
DiscountsLearn how you can save on car insurance by asking for discounts.
ClaimsGet helpful information about filing an auto claim from your insurance agent.
Washington state only requires Liability insurance. Car liability insurance pays for injuries and property damage you cause to others. A good rule of thumb is to buy enough liability insurance to cover what can be taken from you in a lawsuit.
Uninsured Motorist coverage (UM) is mandatory in some states but optional in Washington. Uninsured motorist insurance pays for you and your passengers’ medical bills and other expenses if someone crashes into you and they don’t have enough (or any) liability insurance.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is also equired in some states but not in Washington. This coverage will cover injury claims for you and your passengers up to the limits you chose.
Collision and Comprehensive insurance is usually required by the bank if you have a car loan or lease. They are two separate coverage types often sold together. Collision and comprehensive insurance pay for your vehicle repair bills due to problems such as car accidents, car theft, fires, floods, severe weather, falling objects, vandalism and collisions with animals.
So, do you really need car insurance? Only if you want to protect your assets and drive legally. Your other option is to get friendly with your local bus or uber driver.
Car insurance can be expensive, so you may ask yourself if you really need it. Washington state law does require you carry a minimum amount of liability insurance for a reason. And, believe it or not, it is not to make insurance companies rich. But is insurance really necessary?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2016 an estimated 7,277,000 police-reported traffic crashes occurred and 3,144,000 people were injured in those accidents and 37,461 people were killed, an average of 102 people each day, one fatality every 14 minutes.
Another word for “liable” is “responsible.” So, if you are responsible for an accident, you need responsibility insurance aka liability insurance in order to provide financial relief to the victims of the accident.
Try to imagine a world without car insurance. Every time you went for a drive, you would be risking your bank account and your future earnings. Insurance is designed to help protect you from expensive and sometimes devastating surprises including legal costs if you are taken to court because of an accident.
The average cost of insurance is not that much when you compare it to what the insurance company may have to pay out if you make one minor mistake. The value of good insurance is only revealed when you need it most. In other words, you don’t need insurance… until you do. #AccidentsHappen