I get where you’re coming from, but I honestly can’t bring myself to pay for more coverage than the car’s worth. I mean, if my old Civic gets totaled, I’d rather just pocket the payout and move on. Isn’t it kind of a gamble either way?
I honestly can’t bring myself to pay for more coverage than the car’s worth.
Totally get that logic, especially with an older car. I used to do the same with my ‘03 Corolla. But I always remind myself it’s not just about the payout—it’s about liability too. If you’re at fault in a bad accident, the other person’s medical bills or property damage could go way beyond your car’s value. I usually go step-by-step: figure out what the car’s worth, check my state minimums, then see what extra liability I can afford. Not perfect, but it helps me sleep at night.
it’s not just about the payout—it’s about liability too.
That’s the part that always trips me up. My car’s basically worth less than my phone at this point, but I still keep decent liability coverage because, well, people are expensive. Ever notice how state minimums seem wildly low compared to actual hospital bills? Has anyone here ever actually needed to use their liability coverage for a big claim, or is it mostly just peace of mind?
Yeah, totally get what you mean. My van’s not worth much either, but I’d rather pay a bit extra for higher liability than risk my whole savings if I rear-end someone and they end up in the hospital. Those state minimums do feel super outdated—like, when was the last time a $15k policy covered an ER visit? I haven’t had a big claim myself (knock on wood), but a buddy of mine did—someone sued for way more than insurance covered. Not something I want to risk just to save a couple bucks a month.
Yeah, I hear you. I used to just go with the bare minimum because my car’s not exactly a prize, but after my last ticket (ugh), my rates shot up and it made me rethink things. My cousin actually got into a minor fender bender and the other driver claimed all sorts of injuries—ended up being a nightmare because his policy didn’t even come close to covering it. It’s wild how fast those medical bills stack up. Sometimes I wonder if the insurance companies count on people not really understanding what they’re buying...