Consider Liberty Mutual car insurance when your current auto policy comes up for review
In every state, each licensed driver has to have and be able to prove they have the financial resources to pay for any damage they cause in a car accident that is determined to be his/her fault. The simplest way to meet this requirement (in most cases) is to carry auto insurance. Liberty Mutual car insurance is affordable and many different coverage options are available for you to choose from that can (depending on the state where you live and your specific circumstances) easily keep you in compliance with whatever your state’s insurance coverage requirements are.
How much of what coverage?
Whether you are looking for the basic minimum car insurance policy or a multiple car coverage package for your entire family, you can find auto insurance options from Liberty Mutual that will be competitively priced. Whatever final package of coverage options and levels you select, the car insurance coverage plan you start to put in place will be built on a foundation of some basic, required coverage options, starting with two of the more important and common:
Bodily injury liability – this is just one portion of what is generally referred to as liability car insurance and it is the form of coverage most often required by state laws for car insurance. If you are found to be at fault in a car accident that causes physical harm to another individual or individuals, bodily injury liability insurance will cover the costs of treating those injuries up to the limits you have in place on your policy. Most bodily injury liability coverage provision are split into two separate coverage parts and levels – a maximum amount that will be paid to treat injuries sustained by a single party in an accident you cause and a total overall amount/limit that will be used to treat injuries by any and all other parties you injure in an accident.
Property damage liability - this is the second portion of what’s generally referred to as liability coverage and it tends to be the second most required line of insurance coverage by state laws. This insurance goes into effect when you are found to be at fault in a car accident that causes property damage to other people’s property (including the other driver’s car.) Repair costs up to the amount of coverage you have in place will be covered by this provision for the repairs on the other person's vehicle and for repairs to things like fences, utility poles, even storefronts. (This provision can also be tapped to compensate for damage or loss you cause to another party’s family pet in an accident you are found to be at fault for as most insurers consider family pets to be property. There are a handful of car insurance companies that offer separate family pet coverage options, but you can’t be assured that the other party you cause damage to will be carrying one of these options. This is just one more reason to consider adding levels of liability coverage that exceed just the minimum state requirements and possibly avoid being sued for damages beyond what your policy will cover.)
States set minimum required levels of these two liability options, but every insurance expert will advise you to get higher levels. In the case of Liberty Mutual car insurance, you will actually get a better rate on your overall coverage if you select limits that exceed your state’s minimum requirements. One reason why Liberty Mutual will “reward” you for putting higher levels of coverage on your liability portion in place is that it shows them you are willing to be a more responsible driver. Higher liability coverage levels can also help to dampen the immediate impulse of another party to take you (and your insurer) to court for additional, uncompensated damages.
Property protection insurance (PPI) – this is a variation on what would be called traditional property damage liability coverage and there are a couple of states that require licensed drivers to have this option in place in addition to the more traditional liability levels. PPI for damage you and your vehicle cause to other people's property, such as a fence or building, excluding the damage you cause to another vehicle (except legally parked cars.) These policy options are usually set at higher levels. For example, Michigan drivers must have a minimum of $1 million in PPI in place in addition to the liability coverage the state requires of them.
Options to protect you and your car
Liability coverage only pays for injuries or damage you cause to another driver (or to another person’s property.) When putting together a car insurance plan, you will want to consider coverage options that will protect you, your passengers and your own personal property (especially your car).
With Liberty Mutual car insurance you can build a coverage plan featuring some of those options. Depending on the state where you live or the financial circumstances you find yourself in, some of these options may also be required of you as a licensed driver. The typical options in this broad category include:
Collision coverage - this is mostly an optional coverage (and by that we mean that there is no state that will require you to have this coverage option in place.) Collision coverage will pay for damage to your car caused by any collision with another car, with a fixed object like a fence or a tree, or if you damage the car in a single-car or rollover accident. The limits of this coverage will depend entirely on the current market or what is often referred to as the actual cash value of your car. With this option, you will have to select a deductible (that is, the amount of out-of-pocket costs you are willing to pay before your coverage starts to reimburse you or pay directly for repairs.) Liberty Mutual allows some flexibility when you select a deductible (they generally range from $0 to $1,500 with the average being $500) but remember that this is the amount you agree to pay out-of-pocket before Liberty Mutual picks up any claims. The higher the deductible you select, the lower your rate for this option will be.
Comprehensive coverage - this is another optional coverage feature that no state will require you to have in place as a licensed driver, but you may be compelled to have it in place for other reasons. Comprehensive covers damage to your vehicle caused by what are generally referred to as non-collision events. Some of the more common non-collision events that would fall under the purview of a comprehensive option would be:
- Car fires
- Flood damage
- Theft
- Damage from a falling or flying object
- Damage from other severe weather events
- Vandalism
- Damage by animals
As with collision coverage, you will need to select a separate deductible for comprehensive coverage.
If you are purchasing a new or newer car and have taken a car loan to finance this purchase, you may be required to have one or both of these coverage options in place. The same may be true if you are leasing a car. Most lessees and lenders require one or both of these options as a way of protecting their collateral interests in the car while they still have a substantial investment stake in it. Be sure you read the terms and conditions of any car loan or lease to be sure of what your car insurance coverage requirements may be.
One other thing you should know about these two coverage options when you are considering Liberty Mutual car insurance: the company requires you to have both of them together as a package. You cannot just have collision coverage or just have comprehensive coverage. You will also be subject to a separate deductible for each of these coverage options.
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A standard option offered with Liberty Mutual car insurance that is designed to protect you, your passengers and any family members named on your policy is medical payment coverage. As the name suggests, this option covers a number of medical-related bills you or your passengers or your family members may face as a result of a car accident. It pays out its benefits regardless of who is found to be at fault in an accident and benefits under this coverage options are not subject to a deductible. For this reason, it is often referred to as no fault coverage. Some states require you to carry a no fault coverage option in addition to the liability levels you need to have in place.
A few more options
Besides these lines of coverage, Liberty Mutual car insurance can be crafted with numerous additional lines of coverage options. The majority of these add-on options will bolster the basics lines of coverage you have in place. Some work to compliment other coverage features. Some are actually required in certain states. Some of the more standard add-ons for you to choose from include:
Expand your protection
In addition to the coverage options you can add to bolster your standard car insurance policy with Liberty Mutual, they feature some service-specific options to tack on for very reasonable rates. With your Liberty Mutual car insurance plan, you can add additional protection for you and your family with one or more of these features:
How Liberty Mutual ranks
When you are shopping for car insurance, knowing how a particular company ranks for qualities like affordability and service can be an important tipping point. When it comes to Liberty Mutual car insurance, it appears as though the people who have it like it and tend to keep it for a while.
The highly subjective website www.thetoptens.com has the company listed as the top car insurance company in the country. The site pegs its rankings to an open forum of client and customer feedback and you will routinely find positive things said about Liberty Mutual there.
More objectively, the insurer scores a 77-78 on a scale of 100 from MSN/Money and its annual survey of car insurance companies. In the latest survey (for 2013), 73 percent of current Liberty Mutual customers say they would refer friends and family members to the company and 81 percent of current Liberty Mutual car insurance customers say they plan to renew with Liberty. The 77-78 point ranking places Liberty Mutual as the 18th "best" car insurance company, according to MSN/Money.
J.D. Powers & Associates and A.M. Best both score the insurer a 95 on a 100-point scale. The company ranks 4.9 out of a possible 5 for how few customer complaints they receive (something known as a customer complaint index) and it scores 3.7 on a 5-point scale for value. (It should be noted, however, that the most recent ranking scores the insurer a 1.8 on its 5-point scale for overall satisfaction, combining claims handling, customer service and affordability.)
Save with discounts
Like all car insurers, Liberty Mutual car insurance can save you money with its array of possible discounts. Some of the standard discounts you can pursue with your Liberty Mutual car insurance policy include:
- Multi-policy (bundling) discounts
- Good student discounts
- Multi-car discounts
- Safety devices discounts
- Anti-theft devices discounts
- Low mileage discounts
- Affinity discounts (if you belong to select organizations or work for partnering companies who work with or are supported by Liberty Mutual, you may qualify for discounts)
Discount programs can vary from state to state and there may be some available where you live that are not listed here. Be sure you ask your Liberty Mutual representative about all the discounts you may be eligible for.
(This guide can show you more ways to enjoy discounts with Liberty Mutual on your car insurance)
One of the best ways to determine if Liberty Mutual car insurance is a good fit for you and your family is to sit down with an experienced agent and compare competitive quotes. If you don't have an agent, or if you'd like a comparison for your current agent to respond to, let us help. Reply! can put you in contact with insurance professionals in your area who would be more than happy to help you put together the car insurance coverage plan best suited to your driving needs and your budget.