Glossary of Insurance Terms
A-G | H-P | Q-Z



Rental Reimbursement
An accident shouldn't leave you stranded without transportation. Rental Reimbursement coverage helps pay for the cost of a rental vehicle while yours is being repaired. In most states, coverage options range from $20/day up to $50/day. This coverage is optional. When you carry physical damage coverage for theft, you may be entitled to reimbursement of rental expenses if your car is stolen, even if you don’t carry Rental Reimbursement Coverage. Also called Transportation Expense Coverage or Substitute Transportation.

Safe Driver Insurance Plan
To encourage safe driving—and penalize unsafe drivers—most states assign "points" to traffic violations and certain accidents. Each point adds a percentage surcharge to your insurance policy. Specific surcharge guidelines vary by state.

Single Limit Liability
Insurance policies covering both bodily injury and property damage can be limited in two ways. A single limit liability has one limit for both injury and property damage combined. For example, if a policy had a $60,000 liability limit, the maximum amount the policy would pay for the total injury and property damage would be $60,000.

Split Limit Liability
A split limit liability policy has separate limits per person and per accident for bodily injury, and a per accident limit for property damage.

Substitute Transportation
An accident shouldn't leave you stranded without transportation. Substitute Transportation coverage helps pay for the cost of a rental vehicle while yours is being repaired. In most states, coverage options range from $20/day up to $50/day. This coverage is optional. When you carry physical damage coverage for theft, you may be entitled to reimbursement of substitute transportation expenses if your car is stolen, even if you don’t carry Substitute Transportation Coverage. Also called Transportation Expense Coverage or Rental Reimbursement.

Towing
For more peace of mind when you’re on the road, many policies include coverage for towing and/or repair at point of breakdown. This is an optional coverage—call and add it to your policy. You’ll be surprised how inexpensive this convenience can be!

Transportation Expense
An accident shouldn't leave you stranded without transportation. Transportation Expense coverage helps pay for the cost of a rental vehicle while yours is being repaired. In most states, coverage options range from $20/day up to $50/day. This coverage is optional. When you carry physical damage coverage for theft, you may be entitled to reimbursement of transportation expenses if your car is stolen, even if you don’t carry Transportation Expense Coverage. Also called Substitute Transportation or Rental Reimbursement.

Type of Vehicle
The terms of your insurance policy vary with the type of vehicle you wish to cover. In order to qualify for Personal Auto Coverage, for example, your vehicle must be a private passenger auto or a motor vehicle considered to be a private passenger auto. (A "private passenger auto" is defined as a four-wheel motor vehicle, other than a truck, owned or leased for at least six continuous months.) Pickups and vans may be considered private passenger autos under the following conditions: they must have a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of less than 10,000 pounds and must not be used for the delivery or transportation of goods or materials, unless such use is incidental to an insured’s business of installing, maintaining or repairing equipment, or such use is for farming or ranching.

Underinsured Motorist(UIM)
Insurance provisions for the "underinsured motorist" cover you, the insured members of your household and your passengers for injuries, damages or death caused by the negligence of a person with insufficient insurance. Should you have a valid claim against a person whose coverage cannot meet your damages, your policy will meet the difference—up to the limit of liability listed on your policy.

Standard/Conversion Underinsured Motorist
Standard Underinsured Coverage (UIM) coverage is usually reduced by amounts paid by worker's compensation, or by or on behalf of the person at fault. Conversion Underinsured Motorist (UIMC) is not reduced by payments from any source. Both Standard (UIM) and Conversion (UIMC) coverages only become available after the liability insurance of the at-fault person has been fully paid. Not available in all states.

Uninsured Motorist(UM)
In your policy, the "uninsured motorist" provision covers you, the insured members of your household and your passengers for injuries, damages or death caused by an at-fault uninsured or hit-and-run driver. For example, if you are involved in an accident where the other driver is at fault but has no insurance, your policy will cover your medical expenses, up to the limit on your policy.

Stacked/Non-Stacked Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist
When Stacked Uninsured/Underinsured coverage is selected, the limits of coverage available for Uninsured Motorists Coverage are the sum of limits for each motor vehicle insured under the policy. For Non-Stacked Uninsured/Underinsured coverage the maximum limit of liability for each covered accident is the limit of liability shown in the Declarations Page, regardless of the number of vehicles or premiums shown in the Declarations Page.

Underinsured Motorist Property Damage (UIMPD)
Property Damage Underinsured Motorists Coverage provides coverage when property damage is sustained by an insured and the negligent operator possesses insurance, but the limits of liability carried by the negligent driver are not sufficient to cover the damages.

Uninsured Property Damage (UMPD)
Property Damage Uninsured Motorists Coverage provides coverage for your auto when property damage is sustained by an insured and the negligent operator does not possess insurance.

Uninsured Motorist Property Damage Deductible
Property Damage Uninsured Motorists Coverage may be subject to a deductible at the option of the insured. For Colorado, UMPD Deductible provides Property Damage Uninsured Motorists Coverage per the request of the insured for a vehicle that does not have collision coverage. Coverage may be subject to a deductible at the option of the insured. Uninsured Motorists Property Damage Coverage is not subject to a stated limit of liability. Coverage is provided on an Actual Cash Value basis.

Violation(s):
Any driving offense for which you are issued a ticket. (Does not include parking tickets.) When applying for insurance, you must disclose all violations received within the specified time frame. The completion of safe or defensive driving courses does not negate the fact that a ticket was received.

VIN(Vehicle Identification Number):
This is a 17 character number that is unique to each vehicle and identifies characteristics of the vehicle such as year, make, model and engine specifics. The VIN is usually located on the driver's side of the dashboard.



© Garcia & Associates Insurance Company
    418 Oak Street, Bakersfield, California




The information contained here is general in nature, and cannot cover all circumstances or policies. For specific information, please refer to the actual policies, or contact us and we'll be happy to help.
You can reach Garcia & Associates Insurance at 1-800-350-9207 or via E-mail at info@garciainsurance.com.

Have comments and/or feedback about our site? Let us hear from you! E-mail us at feedback@garciainsurance.com.

Copyright 1999 Garcia & Associates Insurance, 418 Oak Street, Bakersfield, CA