3-C PERSONAL AUTO Flashcards
The Personal Auto Policy (PAP)
A policy that combines liability insurance with other optional coverages
PAP policies can cover:
● Individuals and residing family members
● People driving car with owner’s permission
● Four-wheeled vehicles under 10,000 lb
Remember: insurable interest is required (i.e. auto owners, lessors, or lenders).
PAP Coverage
What is covered?
The PAP will indemnify for:
● Property damage
● Personal injury
● Legal defense
PAPs will ____ punitive damages.
not pay
Insurer must defend policyholder against liability claims, in or out of court.
PAP Coverage Example
If Junior takes the family car out for a joyride, hits the mayor’s car, and is sued, your PAP will cover the car repairs and any injuries the mayor may have, but it will not pay any punitive damages a judge might assign to teach him a lesson.
PAP Sections
● Declarations Page ● Six Sections: 1. Part A Liability 2. Part B Medical Payments 3. Part C Uninsured Motorist 4. Part D Coverage for Damage to Your Auto 5. Part E Duties After an Accident or Loss 6. Part F General Provisions ● Endorsements
Declarations Page
● Named insured’s name and address
● Policy period
● Applicable insurance coverages and their limits
● Deductible
● “Loss payees” (all parties to be indemnified when losses occur)
● Make, model, and VIN of insured automobiles
● Endorsements added to the policy
Example
If Eduardo buys a car with the help of an auto loan, the bank that financed his loan may require that he add it as a loss payee on his auto policy. This ensures that the bank can recover its investment in the vehicle if Eduardo wrecks it.
Auto Insurance Deductibles:
● Fixed: one specific, predetermined amount
● Per Claim Basis: insured is responsible for paying this amount on every claim
Note: Deductibles typically only apply to Collision and Comprehensive coverages, not Liability.
Auto Insurance Deductibles Example
Tom’s car suffers $3,500 worth of damage and he has a $500 fixed deductible on his auto insurance policy. Tom will receive $3,000 from the insurance company because of his fixed deductible of $500.
You, Your
The named insured and the insured’s spouse living in the same household
We, Us, Our
The insurer providing the policy
Family member
Any relation of the insured who lives in the insured’s household
Owned
A car that the insured owns or has leased for 6 months
The Use Of
Any activity involving the car
Occupying
Being in or on a vehicle, getting in or out, getting on or off, sitting on, or leaning against the vehicle
Bodily Injury
Bodily harm, sickness, or disease, or the resulting death
● Does not include mental distress or psychological trauma
Property Damage
Destruction of, or physical damage to, tangible property
● Includes the loss of use of damaged property
Business
A trade, profession, or occupation
Trailer
A vehicle designed to be towed
Your Covered Auto:
- The car specified on declarations page
- A newly acquired auto
- A trailer that the insured owns
- A temporary substitute for car or trailer listed on dec page, due to:
a. breakdown b. repair
c. servicing d. loss
e. destruction
Newly Acquired Auto
Any new or used vehicle that the insured gets during the current policy period
A “newly acquired auto”:
● Must weigh less than 10,000 lbs
● May not be covered under another insurance policy.
● May not be used for the transport of goods and materials (with some
exceptions)
● Automatically gets the broadest coverage provided to any one car listed in
policy
Reporting (according to the standard PAP):
Is the “newly acquired auto” replacing the auto currently listed on the dec page?
● If yes, no reporting needed
● If no, insured typically has 14 days to report newly acquired auto
However: Most states and insurers actually require that you report any new auto within 10 to 30 days.
Comprehensive and Collision coverage:
● Can be added within 4 days of getting new car
● Automatically applies for first 4 days with $500 deductible
Note: These grace periods can vary by insurer.
Part A – Liability Coverage
● Not for insured’s own injuries or damages
● Covers the insured’s liability for the injuries or property damage of others
● Defense in court is included, if necessary
Insuring Agreement
Establishes what the insurer will do for the insured if the insured becomes liable for losses:
● Pay liability costs, up to policy limits
● Covers injury or damage caused by “your covered auto” or any car the insured
drives with permission
● Settle or defend liability lawsuits
● Insurer reserves the right to settle liability cases out of court
Example
Say a policyholder with a liability limit of $100,000 causes an accident that injures three people, and each of those three ends up suing the policyholder for $50,000.
If the insurer settles with the first two parties for $50,000 each, the policyholder will have exhausted his $100,000 coverage. Therefore, the insurer will no longer have to defend the policyholder against the third pending lawsuit for $50,000.
The insurer is only liable for coverage up to policy limits.
Covered Person:
- The named insured and family members living in the same household
- Someone using covered auto with permission
Example
Say your neighbor Wanda does not own a car. She borrows your car one day and causes an accident. Your liability insurance will cover the accident, since Wanda borrowed your car with permission.
Liability Limits example
Let’s use as an example the minimum amount of coverage required by some states: 25/50/10.
The first number is the maximum amount the insurer will pay for bodily injury to any one individual involved in an accident, in this case $25,000.
The second number is the maximum amount the insurer will pay for bodily injury in total, no matter how many individuals were injured in an accident. In this case it is $50,000.
The third number is the maximum amount the insurer will pay for damages to someone else’s property, in this case $10,000.
Split Limits Example
Say Robert, an insured driver with a 25/50/10 liability policy, causes an accident that results in $40,000 of injuries to another driver, $35,000 to his passenger, and $15,000 in property damage.
Robert’s auto liability policy would pay the injured driver $25,000 to cover bodily injury, leaving Robert personally responsible for the remaining $15,000.
The injured passenger would get $25,000 for bodily injury, and Robert would have to pay $10,000.
Lastly, the policy would pay $10,000 for property damage to the other car, leaving Robert responsible for the remaining $5,000.