| Automobile insurance rules cover a wide range of | | | | the uninsured motorist bodily injury. The property |
| situations and aspects of insurance and often differ | | | | damage coverage will pay to fix one's car if damaged |
| from state to state, as insurance laws are different | | | | by a driver who has no insurance. |
| across the country. While there are aspects of | | | | When it comes to accidents, automobile insurance |
| insurance law and custom that are universal, there | | | | rules are usually consistent from state to state with |
| are a few important areas to be aware of. | | | | one exception. Some states are "no-fault" states, |
| Automobile insurance rules concerning international | | | | which means that with the exception of rear-ending |
| borders are important to understand. In general, if | | | | accidents, the police will not assess fault on accidents |
| one drives across the border into Mexico or Canada, | | | | and the insurance companies of the various drivers |
| their American insurance company will exclude or | | | | involved in the incident get together and agree on |
| deny coverage for any incident that happens in the | | | | who bears what percentage of fault and pay |
| foreign country. Both Canada and Mexico have their | | | | accordingly. Accidents in which one driver strikes the |
| own versions of insurance for visiting foreign | | | | other from the rear almost always result in the fault |
| motorists, but the stipulations vary wildly and the | | | | being placed on the driver who strikes the other |
| coverage is usually very minimal. | | | | from the rear. The only exception to this rule is when |
| Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is | | | | one driver is parked improperly in the middle of the |
| another area in which automobile insurance rules vary | | | | right of way and is struck from the rear. In this case, |
| significantly from state to state. Uninsured motorist | | | | the parked driver is usually deemed to be at fault. |
| bodily injury coverage is an optional coverage one | | | | Insurance rules concerning the subject of prior |
| can elect to have on their policy which pays for their | | | | insurance is one area that is generally the same |
| medical bills when they are hit by a driver who has | | | | throughout the nation. If one is applying for insurance, |
| no insurance coverage. This coverage will also cover | | | | he or she will pay a higher rate if he or she has no |
| additional passengers who are injured when hit by an | | | | existing coverage. In other words, insurance |
| uninsured motorist. However, the uninsured motorist | | | | companies charge people with gaps in their coverage |
| bodily injury coverage does nothing to fix one's car | | | | higher rates than people who have no gaps, also |
| when it is damaged by a driver who has no coverage | | | | known as "continuous coverage." Also, almost all |
| to pay for their negligant act. Some states, such as | | | | insurance companies review a driver's record over |
| Texas, allow insurance companies to offer uninsured | | | | the past three years for tickets and accidents and |
| motorist property damage coverage in addition to | | | | over the past five years for DUIs and DWIs. |