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COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE IS
NOT COMPREHENSIVE
By Chuck Wells
Your hear the term
“comprehensive coverage” all the time when you are working on
your car insurance and probably stayed up nights worrying about
what that means. After all, you don’t want to look like a moron
by asking your insurance agent what it means so you just go
along with what your agent is saying. I do the same thing when
getting my car fixed or talking with computer experts. I just
nod my head like I know what they are talking about.
Comprehensive coverage is designed for newer cars which have
some value. It will pay if the car is damaged by fire, falling
objects, animals, vandalism, flood, glass breakage, or if the
car is stolen.
I usually recommend you have comprehensive coverage on any car
that is less than 15 years old unless it is a piece of junk. The
premium is low compared to the payout. Just one windshield
replacement is worth the premium.
Keep in mind that the insurance company will only pay for fixing
the car or the wholesale book value, whichever is less. That’s
right. You don’t have a choice. If it costs more to fix than the
wholesale value of the car, the company will total it out and
that’s the end of it.
Will your rates go up if you turn in a comprehensive claim? Not
usually with just one or two in a three year period. But if you
are turning in every little thing, you will probably be canceled
for claim frequency and will be stuck with paying higher
premiums.
I had one guy turn in a comprehensive claim saying he hit a
deer. He had a lower deductible on comprehensive than collision
and also knew that his rates would not go up if it was a
comprehensive claim rather than under collision. We checked the
grill of his car looking for deer fur and found telephone
splinters instead. He must have chased the deer up a telephone
pole! We paid under the collision part of his policy and upped
his rates for an at-fault accident.
WRONG PATIENT GETS MORE THAN HE BARGAINED FOR
You know how they call out your name in a doctor’s waiting room?
Well, a man in Rio de Janeiro was waiting in his doctor’s
reception area to be treated for an ear ache when he thought
they called his name. He went in and instead of being treated
for the ear ache, they gave him a vasectomy. When they asked him
later why he didn’t question the procedure, he said he thought
the ear inflammation had deep roots. It’s probably good he got
the vasectomy after-all.
CAR ACCIDENTS BRING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE
Anna Gitlin, a software engineer, got a little upset when she
was caught in a rush-hour traffic jam caused by an accident. She
allegedly bumped her car into a police officer and screamed: “I
don’t care who (expletive) died. I’m more important.” Obviously.
And a 20-year-old man was killed in Denver when he jumped from a
car going 40mph. He told his friends that he wanted to endure
some pain in order to get up the courage to get a tattoo. He
doesn’t have to worry about the tattoo now.
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