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Causing an accident is certainly stressful, but knowing that you hurt a friend or family member who was riding along with you can be even more so. Our team at Partners Insurance & Financial Services Inc. knows the guilt and anxiety that can come with hurting a loved one, and we’re here to hopefully give some comfort. If you’re wondering whether your insurance company will assist in medical care reimbursement for your passengers following an accident you are deemed at fault for, the short answer is yes. Your insurance company will take care of them! 

But, there are some limitations and things to know about how much to expect from your Huntington, WV or other West Virginia policy. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need to know:

Understanding Passenger Expenses Following an At-Fault Accident

West Virginia’s laws on insurance and liability make ours what is called a modified comparative fault state. This means that accidents may not be considered completely your fault. When an officer comes to the scene of an accident, they’ll write a report and consider what degree of fault each party is. Sometimes, a person may be 100% at fault for an accident, but in others, it may be 80% with the other party considered 20% at fault. Whatever percentage of fault you are found at fault of, that is the amount you are responsible for.

So, following an accident for which you are found at fault, your insurance company will pay out bodily injury liability according to your comparative responsibility and up to your policy’s limits. If your insurance policy offers Medical Payments Coverage, or "MedPay", they will use that to assist in paying for medical expenses incurred by you and your passengers regardless of fault. 

Learn More About West Virginia Auto Insurance

For more information about auto insurance and protecting your household, give our team at Partners Insurance & Financial Services Inc. a call. We’re proud to serve Huntington, WV and other communities throughout the state with quality insurance. 

Wearing a seatbelt is one of the most important safety measures you can take when driving here in the Huntington, WV area and everywhere you go. Not wearing one can lead to serious injury or even death in the event of a crash. Wearing a seatbelt is also required by law in most states and strongly recommended by us at Partners Insurance & Financial Services Inc., so it’s important to make sure you and your passengers always buckle up before hitting the road. 

Why you should always wear a seatbelt

There are several reasons why you should always wear a seatbelt when driving. One important reason is that wearing a seatbelt significantly reduces your risk of serious injury or death if you’re involved in an accident.

Studies have shown that seatbelts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45% for front-seat passenger car occupants and by 60% for light truck occupants. In other words, the use of seatbelts can drastically reduce your chances of being severely injured or killed in an accident. 

Another reason to wear a seatbelt is that it keeps you and your passengers secure in case of sudden stops, swerves, or sharp turns while driving. Without a seatbelt, you run the risk of being thrown from the vehicle and suffering catastrophic injuries when this happens. Seatbelts keep everyone inside the car and reduce potential damage to people and property in case of an accident or sudden stop. 

Finally, always wearing your seatbelt helps to protect others on the road as well as yourself. When you don’t buckle up, not only are you putting yourself at risk but also any passengers who might be riding with you as well as drivers around you on the road.

Need Auto Insurance? Reach Out To Us!

For more safety tips, call us at Partners Insurance & Financial Services Inc. today. We proudly serve the Huntington, WV area.

Technology makes it easier than ever for auto insurance companies to rate drivers and rate individuals who live in the same home. The ratings are then used to help determine how much you should pay in auto insurance premiums. One of the tools that are becoming more and more common is a tool called household ratings.

At Partners Insurance & Financial Services Inc., serving the greater Huntington, WV area, we have had clients ask what household ratings are and why insurance companies use them. Keep reading to find the answer to this question. 

What Does It Mean If an Auto Insurer Utilizes Household Ratings?

When an auto insurer uses a household rating system, they assess every driver over the age of 18 who lives at one address. They determine how many accidents or tickets each of those drivers has had recently, and then they base your policy premiums on this. The logic behind this is that you and those who live with you may share vehicles. 

What If You Don’t Agree With the Household Rating System? 

If you have a driver at your residence who has a bad driving record, they can cause the insurance company to provide you with a rating that causes your rates to skyrocket. However, most insurance companies will allow you to exclude the bad driver from your policy, meaning that that driver will not be covered if they drive your car. This helps to ensure your auto insurance rate is set based on your driving record, not your household driving record. 

Contact Us Today

Technology has changed the way that auto insurance companies decide how much someone will pay for auto insurance. However, this does not mean that you have to pay more than you should for auto insurance. If you are looking for fair and reasonably priced auto insurance in the greater Huntington, WV area, the agents at Partners Insurance & Financial Services Inc. can help you find a new auto insurance policy. Call us now to get started.