Ohio Car Insurance

Auto Insurance Basics in Ohio

When you purchase an auto insurance policy you enter into a contractual agreement with the provider. In return for your payments, or premiums, you receive financial protections from the cost of potential damages related to car accidents. The width and depth of your coverage is for you to choose. Consumers can opt for bare bones insurance coverage of choose a wide variety of financial protections. You can also increase the total dollar value of your coverage for each type of insurance you want. But, of course, the wider and deeper your coverage, the more your annual premiums will be. Vehicle owners in Ohio have a range of choices when it comes to car insurance products.

The basic building block of auto insurance is liability insurance which will cover expenses of the damaged party in an accident that you are responsible for causing. Expense like medical bills and property damage can escalate pretty quickly. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated that the average car accident causes about $3,500 in property damages and the average claim for bodily injury was approximately $15,000. These are the type of costs that are covered by your liability policy. When you buy a liability policy, your insurance company will define the maximum amount of damages they will cover for each accident and the amount of money you pay out of pocket before your insurance kicks in. This is known as your deductible. Liability coverage is a requirement for drivers in virtually every state and Ohio is no different.

The next tier of coverages Ohio vehicle owners should explore is collision, comprehensive and personal injury protection, also known as PIP. As we’ve said liability insurance covers the other party in a crash that you are responsible for. In order to get your own car damages covered you need collision insurance. It will cover the cost of your repair bill or even replace your vehicle if it is deemed totaled. Comprehensive insurance protects vehicle owners for a variety of risks out of their control such as vandalism, storm damage, hitting an animal and theft, among other things. If you want to get insurance for your won accident related medical bills, you need personal injury protection, which can work in conjunction with any existing health insurance you may have.

The price of auto insurance is variable. In addition to the type of policies you choose, your personal risk profile will help determine your annual costs. It should come as no surprise that young drivers tend to get in more accidents than experienced drivers and, as a result, they pay more for insurance. Drivers with clean safety records usually get low prices, as do those with strong credit. Generally speaking, urban drivers pay more than rural drivers for coverage. Insurance companies take all these things into consideration when pricing their products.

Auto Insurance Requirements in Ohio

The insurance industry if regulated at the state level and Ohio follows the “at fault” model of car insurance. In this model the driver who is deemed responsible for causing an accident is the party liable for any resulting damages to life, limb, or property. The other auto insurance model is known as “no fault”, in which each party in an accident looks to their own insurance company to cover damages. Ohio requires driver to have the following minimum coverage in order to legally own and operate a vehicle in the state: $25,000 of bodily injury insurance per person per accident, $50,000 of injury insurance for all persons hurt per accident, and $25,000 of total property damage per accident. If damages in an accident exceed those totals you may find yourself liable for the balance.

Average Cost of Coverage in Ohio

Ohio car insurance costs typically cost almost $1,100 per year or a few hundred dollars less than the national average. This is a price of full coverage (i.e. liability, comprehensive and collision) not bare bones coverage. Drivers without serious moving violations or accidents on their record can usually expect to pay $500 or more less than drivers without spotless records. As we’ve mentioned before teenaged drivers will be the most expensive to insure in Ohio, or anywhere else for that matter.

Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Ohio

Ohio is well served by a multitude of insurance providers. You might think that the big, name brand companies always have the best prices but that’s not always the case. In Ohio, there are many smaller, regional insurance companies like Westfield, Erie, and Grange Mutual that offer very competitive prices and sometimes better service than the big behemoths. Some folks, however, prefer to buy insurance from only the most financially solid entities. Given all that, you can see how it would be hard to state unequivocally which insurance company would provide you with the cheapest coverage. Your best bet is to do your leg work, compare prices and see for yourself who gives you the better bargain.

Unique Car Insurance Rules and Penalties in Ohio

If you’ve had your license suspended in Ohio due to due driving repeatedly without insurance or because of risky driving you may be required to post a surety bond in order to get your license reinstated. A surety bond is necessary if no carrier will provide you with insurance and acts, essentially as a deposit against future accident related damages. Ohio monitors compliance with its insurance laws by randomly checking over 5,000 vehicles every week.

How to Get the Cheapest Car Insurance in Ohio

The key to getting the best deal for car insurance in Ohio is good, old fashioned comparison shopping. Virtually all insurance companies will give you free quotes. Get at least three quotes in order to get a feel for the best deal. Even better, use our simple easy online tool at General.com and we’ll help you quickly identify your best price for your car insurance needs.