Personal
Injury Insurance
Personal injury insurance is advisable
for most people. Personal injury insurance may be a part of a
larger plan or a specific plan in and of itself. Many personal
injury insurance plans involve auto accident coverage, health,
accidental death and dismemberment, sports, scuba diving, disability
and homeowners policies to name a few.
Homeowner policies may cover accidents
and injuries to others that happen while they are on your property.
Personal injury liability involves injury to third parties, which
includes both bodily harm and nonphysical, non-economic harm.
Injuries that are neither physical nor economic may include libel
or slander, false arrest, discrimination, and invasion of privacy.
These either cause psychological harm or are presumed to be damaging
(as with defamation of character).
Personal injury insurance for auto accidents usually involves
the bodily injury liability insurance part of the overall auto
insurance coverage plan. According to the American Automobile
Association (AAA), "This coverage, combined with property
damage liability coverage, is the foundation of any auto insurance
policy and is required in most states.
If bodily injury claims or lawsuits are brought against you and
if an investigation or a court finds you to be legally responsible
for injuries to persons, your bodily injury liability insurance
will pay, up to your policy limit, for injuries to other people
- such as pedestrians, passengers in your car, or people in other
vehicles. Also, bodily injury liability coverage provides for
your legal defense against those bodily injury claims or lawsuits,
should it become necessary." Since each state sets its own
laws for minimum bodily injury liability limits, it is best to
check out what your state's limits are.
Personal Injury Protection (or PIP) insurance provides coverage
for medical expenses if the driver or another individual covered
under the policy is injured in an automobile accident. It is often
called no-fault coverage because it pays medical expenses no matter
who has caused the accident or no matter who was at fault. Personal
Injury Protection insurance coverage pays hospitals, doctors,
and other medical providers and or medical equipment for treatment
of injuries from auto accidents.
Sports and recreation insurance cover personal injuries from
such activities as sky diving, scuba diving, parasailing, winter
skiing, and other activities that an active person may engage
in. Because of the higher risk and higher likelihood of personal
injury, these policies generally come with a much higher price
tag than general policies.
No matter what your personal injury insurance need is, there
are generally many companies and policies out there to cover just
those needs. It may take some research and policy comparisons
but it is well worth the time and trouble to make sure that you
and your family is protected in the event of personal injury.
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