What does liability auto insurance cover in Baton Rouge, LA?

Many people only choose to get the minimum required insurance. If you have a loan on your vehicle, the bank holding the loan probably requires you to keep full coverage. However, if you have paid off your vehicle, you may only need to carry liability coverage as state law requires. Cordell Insurance can help you understand what liability insurance covers so you can decide how much coverage is right for you.

Liability Auto Insurance In Baton Rouge, LA

There are two basic components to liability auto insurance in Louisiana: This only applies in accidents where you are at fault.

  1. You are required to carry a minimum amount of coverage for bodily injury that you may cause to someone else in an accident. There is also a minimum amount per accident. 
  2. You have to carry a certain amount of coverage if you cause property damage to someone else’s vehicle.

If you get the minimum coverage required, your coverage could quickly reach your policy’s maximum. You are responsible for paying for anything beyond your coverage maximum.

Other Kinds Of Coverage

As you can see, the minimum amount of coverage is a very small amount of protection. The amount isn’t very much, and it doesn’t cover anything for you at all. Here are just a few of the items not covered by liability insurance:

  • Your own injuries and property damage
  • If you hit a pole or fence
  • If you hit an animal
  • Vandalism or theft 

Even a minor accident could deplete your savings. If you want to explore your options for better protection in Baton Rouge, LA, please call Cordell Insurance today.

Does Regular Auto Insurance Adequately Cover My Classic Car?

Yes, technically, standard car insurance may cover your classic car. However, it won’t cover everything you need to keep your vintage vehicle in top condition. You can rely on an agent from Cordell Insurance in Baton Rouge, LA to walk you through your car policy so that you understand your options.

Regular Car Insurance May Not Pay Enough

With your standard policy, mileage, depreciation, and age all factor into how much insurance coverage you can get. Putting sweat equity and real money into restoring your vehicle might fall far short of its true value.

Fortunately, you have other options. Classic car insurance policies are specifically designed to protect your valuable antique vehicle. Additionally, this type of policy also covers perils unique to classic cars.

What Does Classic Car Insurance Cover?

With classic car insurance, you’re covered for some of the same things as a standard policy. This may include comprehensive, collision, bodily injury, and property damage. However, you can also add more coverage for your peace of mind. For example, you can cover the car’s actual cash value rather than its contemporaries’ book value.

We can help you negotiate the true value of your vehicle with your insurance company. Classic cars, unlike other vehicles, can appreciate over time. Therefore, you need a flexible policy that allows you to adjust your coverage to the actual cash value.

You’re going to want classic car insurance that will help pay for restoration in case of an accident. With the right insurance, you can get the help you need to pay for engine components, wheels, and other parts that are expensive and hard to find.

Contact Cordell Insurance in Baton Rouge, LA to learn more about the differences between regular and classic car insurance. One of our agents can explain your existing coverage and how to adjust it for coverage gaps.

Should I get full auto insurance coverage even though my late model car has been paid off?

Auto insurance provides many different benefits for drivers. Most of us can’t afford to pay for car damage or an at-fault accident out of pocket. Car insurance provides benefits that enable it to cover and protect from accidents and other auto-related incidents. Our Baton Rouge, LA team at Cordell Insurance can help drivers get auto insurance coverage that meets their specific needs.

What are the Benefits of Auto Insurance?

Auto insurance provides coverage for auto repairs as well as coverage for property damage and personal injuries. Car insurance will also cover damage to other people’s property and vehicles if you’re found at fault. An auto insurance policy also covers passengers. Liability insurance is the only auto insurance requirement for most states. However, this doesn’t mean that more coverage shouldn’t be considered. 

Should I get full auto insurance coverage even though my late-model car has been paid off?

Most lenders require car owners to carry full coverage auto insurance until a car is paid off. However, once you’ve paid off your vehicle, you’re only required to carry liability insurance. However, you should ask yourself if this is enough. If you have a late model car and it’s damaged in a car accident, could you pay for the repairs out of pocket? Many people couldn’t. This is one of the many reasons why it may be best to invest in more than auto liability insurance. Collision coverage would pay for the repair of your vehicle. However, liability insurance wouldn’t. Call us if you have questions about the best auto coverage for your car. We can help you get the coverage you need.

Auto Insurance and Managing the Auto Shop After an Accident

The law in Louisiana gives you the ability to choose the auto repair business that you want to use to repair your vehicle following an auto accident. You could get a recommendation from your auto insurance company, or contact your auto insurance agency. Cordell Insurance is a good agency that could tell you if they have one that you could use in the Baton Rouge, LA area. You could find out how the insurance provider or your agency knows if the repair company is a good one, too, so that you could make a choice.

You will need to tell the claims adjuster the shop name where they will repair your vehicle, and they would need this information from you and ask you for it. You could get additional information from the Better Business Bureau if this is not included in their process. You could find one in advance, write it down and keep it somewhere so that you could be ready for a problem. 

Get your estimate from the repair company that will include the work they will do, the parts, and the labor cost, too. It would also need to mention that if the repair is more expensive, they would contact you and tell you this. The Louisiana law says that you will pay them and the auto insurance company would pay you first, or you could ask them to pay the repair company, instead. The law, also, requires them to use original manufacturer parts to repair your vehicle. 

If you have questions about how to get your repair or any other information, contact the agency where you get your insurance. You should use Cordell Insurance, in the Baton Rouge, LA area, because they would help you with any questions and give you a great experience.

What are the state minimum auto insurance coverage for Louisiana?

All Louisiana drivers are required to carry the state minimum insurance coverage in order to legally drive within the state. Each state has its own requirements for state residents. Louisiana requires all drivers to carry liability insurance to avoid fines and other consequences for operating a vehicle without the minimum insurance requirements. Our Baton Rouge, LA team at Cordell Insurance is dedicated to helping Louisiana residents acquire the auto insurance coverage they need to legally drive in the state.

What are Louisiana’s Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements?

In order to legally drive in the state of Louisiana, all drivers must carry the minimum liability insurance in the amounts of 15/30/25 liability limits. These amounts include $15,000 in bodily injury coverage per person and $30,000 in coverage for more than one person per accident. The minimum liability requirements also include $25,000 for damage to another vehicle or property. All drivers within the state of Louisiana are required to cover these minimums, if not more, in order to legally operate a vehicle within the state. 

Our Cordell Insurance team is committed to educating Louisiana drivers on the state minimum insurance requirements. However, we are also committed to helping drivers get more coverage if they need it. We are here to ensure that our Baton Rouge, LA drivers get the best coverage possible. However, this starts with meeting Louisians’ state minimum auto coverage requirements. If you have questions or need coverage, give us a call. We’re standing by. Our insurance agents can discuss your auto insurance needs and guide your decision-making process when it comes to auto insurance coverage. 

Baton Rouge LA Residents Should Consider These Factors When Shopping For Auto Insurance

Choosing an auto insurance plan is a major decision. Hopefully, you never get in an accident or otherwise have to exercise your insurance plan, but if you do, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got the appropriate coverage. Cordell Insurance has helped countless people in Baton Rouge, LA pick the auto insurance plan right for their needs.

Let’s look at some factors Baton Rouge residents should consider when picking an auto insurance plan.

How Much Is The Deductible?

You’ll want to pay close attention to the deducible. This is the amount you have to pay out of pocket before insurance kicks in. If you don’t have money set aside for emergencies, you may want to pick a plan with a lower deductible.

How Much Liability Coverage is Provided?

Liability coverage will cover someone else’s medical bills and property damage costs if an accident occurs. The more liability coverage your auto insurance plan offers, the lower the risks that you may personally have to pay for someone’s medical bills or other costs.

Does An Auto Insurance Plan Cover Water Damage?

Baton Rouge and Louisiana experience floods and extreme weather from time to time. Comprehensive auto insurance plans often cover water damage but only under certain situations. Make sure you read the fine print when selecting a car insurance plan.

How Is Personal Property Handled?

Auto insurance usually does not cover personal property stolen from within a car. However, some insurance providers do provide optional plans for personal property coverage. If you frequently leave the expensive property (such as a laptop) in your vehicle, you may want to get personal property insurance.

If you have any questions or would like help selecting an auto insurance plan, get in touch with Cordell Insurance, which serves Baton Rouge, LA.

Is getting auto insurance necessary in Louisiana?

When you live in the Baton Rouge, LA area, you will likely want to own a car as it will make it a lot easier for you to get around the city. If you are going to get a car here, you do need to make sure that you get the right insurance for it. There are several reasons why getting auto insurance should be considered a necessity for anyone in this area of the state.

Insurance Protects Asset

One of the reasons that getting an auto insurance policy should be considered a requirement for you is that it can protect your asset. Buying a car will come with a big purchase and investment that should be protected. If you get a full auto insurance policy here, you will have coverage to offset the risks of many situations that would otherwise lead to a loss including theft or vandalism.

Insurance is a Requirement

You should also get an auto insurance policy because it will be a requirement for you. Those that want to use a public road in Louisiana will need to abide by the state laws that require drivers to carry liability insurance. Additionally, if you have taken out a loan to purchase a car, you will need to meet the lender’s insurance requirements that often require you to have a full comprehensive and collision policy.

Getting an auto insurance policy is a good idea for anyone in the Baton Rouge, LA area. If you are looking for a new policy here, you should reach out to Cordell Insurance. The insurance team at Cordell Insurance has helped many people in this area choose a policy that offers the right protection. They can help you as well by evaluating your situation and helping you determine your specific needs. 

Three reasons your current auto insurance policy may not be enough

Auto insurance is an important product to carry to protect yourself from significant surprise financial expenses. At Cordell Insurance, we offer auto insurance policies to consumers in the Baton Rouge, LA area.

Unfortunately, a lot of consumers aren’t carrying adequate auto insurance coverage. This leaves them at risk of facing large expenses as the result of an automobile accident.

The following are three reasons your current auto insurance policy is insufficient. It’s in your best interest to purchase more coverage in these situations.

You only have liability coverage. 

You should purchase collision coverage in addition to liability coverage. Liability coverage will only cover expenses that you cause to other individuals out on the road. Collision coverage will cover the costs of damage to your own vehicle.

Without collision coverage, you’ll have to pay out of pocket if your vehicle becomes damaged in an accident for which you are deemed at fault. 

You don’t have uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. 

Unfortunately, there are many uninsured and underinsured motorists out on the road. If you get in an accident with one of these motorists, you will have to pay your own bill for any resulting damage to your own vehicle. 

When you invest in uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, you get added coverage for expenses resulting from another motorist not carrying adequate coverage. 

You have only minimum liability coverage. 

Legally, you’re only required to purchase enough liability coverage to reach state minimums. However, your liability expenses for a large accident could amount to much more than these state minimum requirements.

You should purchase more than the minimum requirement in your state. This will increase the financial security that your auto insurance policy provides.

You can learn more about our auto insurance policies in Baton Rouge, LA by contacting us at Cordell Insurance. 

The Top Causes of Car Accidents in Louisiana

With so many vehicles on the road in and around Baton Rouge, LA, accidents are an unfortunately common occurrence. Cordell Insurance wanted to know: What are the main causes of accidents in Louisiana? We turned to Louisiana State University’s own research into transportation safety to find the answers. As of 2018, there were four major contributing factors to most car accidents: distraction, alcohol & drugs, and aggression.

Distraction

Cell phone use is the largest source of distraction on the road. Over two thousand crashes in the state could be blamed on phone usage alone. But phones are not the only diversions drivers face on the road. Eating, preoccupation with passengers, and inattentiveness due to exhaustion can all contribute to distraction-related accidents. In fact, traffic accidents linked to distraction as a whole reached over 150 fatalities last year. 

Aggression

According to LSU, aggressive driving is characterized by excessive speeding, following too close, passing improperly, and general careless operation. While accidents involving aggressive driving violations have been on a decline recently, they still make up a large chunk of accidents in Louisiana. This includes almost 400 fatalities in 2018 alone. 

Alcohol & Drugs

Of all confirmed accidents related to alcohol/DWI, 34% of those accidents resulted in a fatality. Alcohol-involved incidents involving drivers age 15-20 has been on a steady decrease since 2005. However, DWI’s involving drugs continue to be a strong risk factor for accidents, including a huge spike in fatal crashes where cannabinoids were involved. 

With so many risk factors on the roads of Baton Rouge, LA, you need an auto insurance policy to protect yourself and your assets. Let Cordell Insurance find the right insurance to fit your individual needs today!

Tips for saving on gas throughout the year

One of the things people tend to agree on is that gas costs too much. Driving around Baton Rouge, LA, you might wait a little longer to get gas because you want to catch a better deal. At least there are some ways you can cut down on your gas bill.

  • Drive less. This might seem too obvious, but there are probably ways you can cut some driving out of your routine. For instance, you can plan your errands to do two at once, instead of separating them and making the drive twice. 
  • Slow down. Nobody wants to slow down, and in fact, most of us feel like we aren’t getting to our destination fast enough. But speeding has a very little positive effect and can waste a lot of gas. Even making a resolution to drive right at the speed limit can show results in fuel savings.
  • Keep your tires inflated. Especially when they get older, your tires probably get low when the temperature changes. But you should be keeping an eye on your tires all the time, because keeping them properly inflated doesn’t just save you gas money, but it also cuts down on unnecessary wear and tear and keeps you from having to buy tires as often.
  • Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. Following the schedule to make sure you get your oil changed, your air filter replaced and your tune-up performed will help your fuel efficiency. Of course, it will also keep your car healthy and keep you from having problems down the road.
  • Be careful when running your air conditioner, and try to just use it on the highway.

At Cordell Insurance, we understand how important it is to save money. That’s one reason we try to help people find an auto insurance policy that fits their budget. If you live in Baton Rouge, LA, call Cordell Insurance today to see if we can help save you money.