Auto insurance provides the coverage you need to be on the road.

Liability-only coverage pays for damage and injuries you cause to others but does not cover your own vehicle. Full coverage adds comprehensive and collision coverage to your policy, which pays for damage to your own vehicle from accidents, theft, and other covered losses. SandStone’s licensed agents help you decide whether full coverage still makes sense as your vehicle ages and depreciates.

After an accident, you file a claim with your insurance company. They assign an adjuster to assess the damage and determine what your policy covers. Depending on who is at fault and what coverage you carry, your insurer will pay for repairs, medical bills, or other covered losses up to your policy limits, minus your deductible.

A standard auto policy typically includes several coverages:

• Property Damage Liability and Bodily Injury for harm you cause to others.

• Collision and Comprehensive Coverage protects your own vehicle.

• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage protects you when the at-fault driver doesn’t have adequate insurance.

Insurance companies use your driving record to assess how likely you are to file a claim. Accidents and violations signal higher risk and result in higher premiums, while a clean record typically qualifies you for lower rates and may make you eligible for safe-driver discounts.

You need at least your state’s minimum liability limits, but those minimums rarely cover the cost of a serious accident in 2026. Most experts and SandStone licensed agents recommend at least 100/300/100 in liability (meaning $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, and $100,000 in property damage), with higher limits and an umbrella policy for households with assets to protect.

Comprehensive covers damage to your vehicle from non-collision events such as theft, vandalism, fire, hail, falling trees, flooding, animal strikes, and broken glass. It pays after you meet your deductible, regardless of fault.

Collision coverage pays to repair or replace your vehicle when it strikes another vehicle, an object like a guardrail or pole, or rolls over, regardless of who caused the accident. Lenders and lessors require it on financed and leased vehicles.

A deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before collision or comprehensive coverage pays the rest of the repair or replacement cost. Common deductibles include but are not limited to $250, $500, $1,000, or $2,500+. Raising your deductible lowers your premium, and SandStone licensed agents can model deductible options against your savings to find the right tradeoff.

Your auto policy usually extends your existing liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage to rental cars in the United States, though it does not cover loss of use fees the rental company charges or administrative fees. International rentals typically fall outside coverage.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage pays for your injuries and, in some states, your property damage when an at-fault driver carries no insurance or not enough to cover your losses. With roughly one in eight drivers uninsured nationally in 2026, UM/UIM has become essential rather than optional.

Yes, comprehensive coverage pays for hail damage to your vehicle after you meet your deductible, with no fault assigned and typically no premium impact for the loss alone. Carriers in hail-prone states sometimes apply higher comprehensive deductibles or wind/hail-specific deductibles. SandStone licensed agents can confirm how your specific carrier and state handle hail claims before storm season.

Your driving record is one of the largest factors in your auto premium, with a single at-fault accident often raising rates 25 to 50% and a DUI sometimes doubling them. Most violations affect your premium for three to five years, depending on the state and carrier.

Auto insurance generally follows the car, meaning your policy applies first when someone you have allowed to drive your vehicle causes an accident. Coverage can then extend to the driver’s own policy as secondary. Permission matters: unauthorized drivers and excluded drivers create coverage gaps. SandStone’s licensed agents review household drivers carefully, so the right people sit on the right policies.

Medical payments coverage pays medical and funeral expenses for you and your passengers after an accident, regardless of fault, up to your selected limit. MedPay applies on top of health insurance and usually has no deductible or copay.

An at-fault accident typically raises your premium 25 to 50% at renewal and the surcharge usually stays on your record for three to five years. Not-at-fault accidents may or may not affect your rate depending on your state and carrier. Accident forgiveness can prevent the first surcharge for qualifying drivers, and a licensed agent from SandStone can help quote carriers that offer it.

The most impactful auto discounts in 2026 include bundling home and auto, multi-vehicle, safe driver, telematics or usage-based programs, paperless billing, paid-in-full, good student, defensive driving courses, and anti-theft devices. Many carriers now also offer EV-specific discounts.

Standard auto policies usually include a set amount in coverage for aftermarket equipment such as custom wheels, audio systems, lift kits, and performance parts. Higher-value modifications need a custom parts and equipment endorsement to receive full coverage after a loss. A licensed agent from SandStone can schedule modifications properly so a covered loss does not become an out-of-pocket surprise.

Usage-based insurance (UBI) tracks driving behavior through a mobile app or plug-in device, scoring factors like hard braking, rapid acceleration, phone use, mileage, and time of day. Safe drivers can potentially save 10 to 30%, while risky behavior can sometimes raise rates at renewal with certain carriers.

Personal injury protection pays medical bills, lost wages, and certain replacement services for you and your passengers regardless of fault, and many no-fault states require it. PIP coverage operates more broadly than MedPay because it includes wage replacement and household services.

You should review your auto policy at least once a year and any time you buy or sell a vehicle, add or remove a driver, move, change jobs (which can shift commute mileage), or pay off a loan. Repair and replacement costs in 2026 keep climbing as ADAS sensors and EV components push parts prices higher, so coverage that fit two years ago may no longer match your needs.