The Top Exclusions Your Car Insurance Won’t Cover

October 7, 2019

When was the last time you gave your car insurance policy a good read? Do you know what’s covered and what isn’t? The last thing you want to do is find out after the fact that an incident isn’t covered. We’ve created this guide to help you understand the most common exclusions on car insurance programs. Of course, every policy is different, so make sure you read your policy closely to see what exclusions you have.

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Illegal Activity

Driving under the influence, possessing illegal drugs, or any other illegal activity could render your insurance claim null and void. You promise to operate your car to the fullest extent of the law when you take car insurance. If you don’t follow those rules, the insurance company could deny your claim.

Intentional Damage

Insurance companies always do an investigation to determine the reason for the vehicle damage. If they suspect and can prove that your damage was intentional, they can deny the claim. Intentional damage can occur during fits of rage or even to get money to fix your car. Insurance companies include language, such as using your car as a weapon or using it to blow off rage in this category.

Commercial Use of Your Personal Car

Your standard auto insurance policy is for personal use – not business use. If you use your car for business, you need a business auto insurance policy. If you ignore this and use your car for business purposes and have an accident, the insurance company can deny your claim. This includes hauling goods for work, ridesharing, or any other use that the insurance company could consider commercial.

International Travel

Your car insurance is valid in the United States only, typically. If you travel to say Mexico or Canada, your insurance company may not cover you. Before you travel, talk toyourinsurance agent. You may be able to buy a rider to cover your travels, but don’t assume your policy automatically covers international travel.

Customization

If you love to customize your car, let your insurance company know about it. Don’t assume you have the same coverage even if you modify your car. The insurance company will determine if you still qualify for coverage based on the modifications you make. Not letting them know ahead of time could leave you without full coverage or without any coverage at all.

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Unregistered Drivers

Some insurance policies cover anyone that you give permission to drive your car, but not all do. Check with your insurance policy to see what they allow. If you regularly lend your car out to others, you’ll want a policy that provides full coverage even when it’s not you driving the car.

Excluding a Driver

If you have multiple drivers in y our home, you or your insurance company may decide to exclude a driver from specific coverages. Talk with your insurance agent about the importance of this. In some cases, this is voluntary. For example, if you have a teen driver in your home and you own a sports car, you probably want to exclude him or her from that coverage unless you want to pay excessively high premiums.

Make sure to read your full policy to make sure all necessary drivers have coverage on each vehicle. If a driver is excluded and something happens while he or she drives it, you won’t have the coverage you think you have.

No two car insurance policies are the same. Read the fine print and ask a lot of questions of your agent. If you worry about certain exclusions, ask. The above excluded incidents may or may not pertain to your policy. Your insurance company may have even more incidents they exclude. Knowledge is power when buying the right car insurance.

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