In the state of Colorado any person(s) must carry the state minimums of automobile insurance. Auto insurance covers four different parts that could be sustained during an accident. Your auto insurance covers yourself and spouse, family living in your home, and anyone you have given permission to drive your car. Your auto insurance follows the car!

The first part of your auto insurance is liability coverage. When speaking of liability coverage, insurers are referring to property damage and bodily injury of others. Split coverage allows for different limits of liability for property damage and bodily injury of others. Injury and damages are broken down into three parts: (1) amount per person for bodily injury during one accident (2) amount per accident for bodily injury total during one accident (3) amount per accident for property damage. Combined single limit coverage is one limit of liability for both property damage and bodily injury; one amount that covers all the bodily injury and property damages during one accident.

The second part of your auto insurance is medical payments coverage. This is the coverage that covers your injuries sustained or passenger’s injuries sustained during an accident that is deemed your fault; also known as an at-fault accident. When choosing the amount for your medical payments, you need to keep in mind that this is the amount paid out to per person present and injured in your vehicle.

The third part of your auto insurance is uninsured motorist coverage. Outside of protecting yourself during an accident caused due to your negligence, it is important to protect yourself against uninsured and underinsured motorists. An uninsured motorist is just that, they do not have any insurance to help cover the costs of property damage and/or bodily injury. An underinsured motorist has insurance but not enough to cover the costs of the property damage and/or bodily injury obtained during the accident.

The fourth part of your auto insurance is property damage or physical damage coverage. Collision coverage covers your car when it impacts another vehicle or object. It will also protect your car if you roll your car, whether that be a partial roll or multiple rolls in succession. Comprehensive coverage covers your car outside of a collision loss. Dependent on your insurer and policy things such as missiles, fire, theft, explosion, earthquake, windstorm, hail, water, flood, malicious mischief, vandalism, riot, contact with a bird or animal, and breakage of glass are covered under your comprehensive coverage. Any personal property lost or damaged in an auto accident is not covered by your auto insurance but is covered under your homeowner’s policy.