Image via WikipediaOne of the most frequent general insurance questions asked is “why do I need car insurance?” The first answer to that question is that law, in every state, requires it. If you are caught without car insurance, you can get into serious trouble, which can end up costing you a lot of money in fines, lawyer costs and increased car insurance premiums when you do buy it.

Secondly, car insurance is designed to protect your assets in case of an accident or damage to your vehicle. It helps safeguard the money you have invested in your vehicle, will pay for medical costs in the case of injury to you, your passengers or others, and protect you from a lawsuit brought by another party.

Many drivers do not carry car insurance, they run that risk every day and if one of those uninsured drivers should hit your vehicle and cause you injury, part of your car insurance will protect you from that loss.

Another of the general questions came up the only the other day after seeing the devastation in JoplinMissouri. It’s not just accidents that cause damage to cars, hundreds of cars in Joplin were reduced to scrap metal after the tornado but if the owner carries adequate insurance, he will be covered and able to purchase another vehicle almost immediately.

Not all carriers or insurance companies are the same. Many popular companies advertise “cheap” car insurance, which is the cost of minimum coverage that in many cases is inadequate to cover today’s costs of medical bills, destroyed property or vehicle replacement.

Only you know your individual requirements as there are so many variables, so it is important to talk to a licensed car insurance expert, not a telephone operator on a call-in number, they are only there to sell as much car insurance as they can and not advise what’s best for you.

You can ask an agent all your general insurance questions and rest assured that he will find the best possible coverage for you, bearing your budget and circumstances in mind.