Understanding the Confusing Terms in Your Insurance Policy

Insurance policies are confusing. Knowing what to look for in the all the jargon is tiring for someone that doesn’t know what they’re looking for. The insurance companies aren’t necessarily doing this on purpose – some of the language in the policy is actually required by law. Understanding the important aspects of your policy, along with what the confusing insurance terms actually mean, will be a little easier with our definition of insurance terminology listed below.

With a broad variety of prices and products offered by the insurance company, you want to be sure to choose the right one to protect you and your family in the event of an accident. Each plan can differ with each confusing term or what is included in the fine print. Understanding these five confusing insurance terms will help you understand your policy.

Comprehensive – Outside of insurance policies, “comprehensive” is similar to “everything.” However, when used in your policy it is actually much more limited. It may exclude all things other than a collision. This means basic compensation for damages to another car or personal injury will not be covered by your policy.
Bodily Injury Liability Insurance – Just by looking at the title, you assume correctly that this insurance covers bodily injuries. However, you’re wrong if you assume it covers your bodily injuries. This coverage actually compensates an injured third party that you may have harmed in the collision.
Property Damage Liability Insurance – Similar to the previous term, this part of your insurance will cover the damage done to the third party, not the damage done to your own vehicle or property.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Possibly the most important part of an insurance policy, PIP covers your medical expense bills, lost wages, essential services, funeral expenses, rehabilitation expenses and other damages up to a limit. In Kansas that limit is usually $4500 for medical expenses and 85% of your wage loss no to exceed $900 a month for 12 consecutive months.
Deductibles – Each insurance claim has a deductible which is the amount that you will pay out of pocket. Having a high deductible means you will have to pay more of your own money before the insurance policy will chip in to help.

Each insurance company differs in the exact definition of each may terms unless the terms are defined by state law, so it is important to carefully review your policy for how each term may affect your coverage. More information on insurance adjusters and tricky tactics they may use can be found here.

At Ray Hodge & Associates, we believe in personal injury handled personally. At our office you see a lawyer from the very first meeting because we believe your case deserves an experienced personal injury attorney right from the start.

If you have had a Kansas car wreck injury that was not your fault and need medical treatment, you need an experienced professional who can help you get back on the road to recovery. Call us today at 316-269-1414 or visit our contact page here. Our Kansas personal injury attorneys will provide you a free initial consultation and if we take your case you don’t pay a dime unless we recover money for you. Even then we only take a percentage of the total amount of your recovery.

If you have questions on what you should be looking for when you are making a decision to hire a Kansas personal injury lawyer, read our article located here.

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Ray Hodge & Associates proudly represents victims and their families across the state of Kansas, including Wichita, Andover, Derby, Goddard, Haysville, Mulvane, Rose Hill, Newton, El Dorado and Hutchinson. Call today for a free consultation all over the state of Kansas. We have proudly served clients in Sedgwick, Butler, Sumner, Harvey, Kingman and Reno Counties.