Common Insurance Terms

Damage to Your Auto/Trailer – Physical Damage must be purchased in order to cover the trailer. It consists of two different coverages, Collision and Other than Collision. “Other than Collision” is often referred to as “Comprehensive”. Each coverage will have its own deductible. The policy pays the amount of the loss that exceeds the deductible. Policyholders can purchase just Other than Collision coverage or both coverages. Companies won’t sell Collision coverage by itself due to the wording of the policy and that collision is just considered an additional coverage to be comprehensive.

Definition of Collision – Collision is defined to mean the upset of the auto, the auto being overturned; the impact of the auto with another vehicle or object, this includes hitting something with the vehicle or the vehicle getting hit by something else, whether moving or stationary.

Definition of Other than Collision – Other than Collision specifically includes, but is not limited to, the following causes of loss:

• Contact with a bird or animal
• Missiles or falling objects
• Fire
• Theft or larceny, When a covered auto is stolen and then wrecked by the thieves, theft is considered the proximate cause, not collision.
  
• Explosion or earthquake
• Windstorm
• Hail, water or flood
• Malicious mischief or vandalism
• Riot or civil commotion
• Breakage of glass, If the insured has glass broken in a collision, they can choose to cover the glass under collision, so they don’t have to pay a second deductible on their other than collision coverage on the glass.

Personal Effects – The standard personal auto policy only provides physical damage to “your covered auto” and not to any personal effects. The home policy would be a logical place to look for coverage for personal effects, but the home policy has strict limits on personal property located off the “residence premises”. Personal effects coverage is included on most traile policies and provides coverage for your personal effects not permanently installed in the trailer.

Additional Coverages – Your agent can help you with other coverages that may be attractive to trailer, camper owners such as extended roadside assistance including coverages such as towing, temporary living expenses and transportation costs. For automobile policy definitions click HERE.