If you are purchasing auto insurance in Missouri, you may be tempted to buy just the minimum required by the state. After all, that’s usually the cheapest way to go. But our experts at Lang Insurance recommend more than the minimum, and here’s why.
What Is the Minimum Required Auto Insurance in Missouri?
The minimum auto insurance in Missouri to register your vehicle and drive legally is:
- $25,000 per person
- $50,000 per accident
- $25,000 property damage
This protects you and other motorists on our roadways in the event of an accident. If someone is injured when you are at fault, or if another driver’s vehicle is damaged, they won’t be left without coverage. Typically, whoever is found to be responsible for the accident pays damages from their insurance policy.
What Other Kinds of Auto Insurance Are Available?
It’s a common misconception that you can only buy the minimum insurance required. However, there are other types of auto insurance available to you:
- Increased liability coverage
- Collision insurance
- Comprehensive insurance
If you bump up your liability coverage, you get more than the minimums mandated by the state.
Collision insurance pays for the repair or replacement of your vehicle if it’s damaged in an accident.
Comprehensive insurance covers your car or truck in the event of theft, vandalism, and damage by fire or storm.
Pro tip: if you use your vehicle for your business, even if it’s for delivering pizza or driving for a rideshare company, ask us about a business auto policy. This is different from personal auto insurance.
Are There Benefits to Additional Coverage for Me?
So, let’s talk about the benefits of adding more auto coverage to your policy.
Enjoy greater peace of mind
Increasing your liability gives you more protection in the event of a serious accident, such as one where another driver or their passenger suffers disabling injuries or loss of life. You may feel more comfortable with this if you have a young or new driver in your household or if you worry about losing your assets to accident damages.
Recover faster after a claim
Minimum liability insurance protects your savings and other motorists, but it does not cover your own vehicle. If you are at fault in an accident, or if you have an encounter with someone who is not insured or flees the scene, who pays to repair your car or truck? That’s what collision insurance is designed to do.
Likewise, comprehensive insurance protects your vehicle if it’s damaged or lost in a fire or storm, as well as if it’s stolen or vandalized. Otherwise, you’d have to pay out of pocket for damages or loss.
Collision and comprehensive insurance together, along with liability coverage, is known as “full coverage” auto insurance. This level of insurance gets life back to normal for you more quickly after an accident. You won’t risk being stuck without a vehicle to get to work, school, or family obligations.
Satisfy auto financing lender
If you finance your vehicle, the lender may require you to have comprehensive insurance. This covers their investment in your loan should the worst happen and the vehicle loses value or is totaled (must be replaced entirely). It makes sense that they would want to protect themselves since technically, you don’t own the vehicle.
For all the reasons listed above, we nearly always recommend getting full coverage on your car or truck, unless it’s very old or the value is extremely low.
Think it’s time to give your auto policy a boost? Call our independent agents at 636-229-7000 today to find out more. Put our personalized service and large selection of products to work for you, and you’ll love the results.
