American Auto Insurance provides comprehensive insurance plans to Illinois drivers at the lowest possible prices. Car owners have relied on us to save money for over 30 years, and our A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau means you can trust us to help you navigate the complexities of auto insurance with your best interests in mind.
We offer all types of auto insurance policies, including SR-22 certificates. This article reviews liability and liability plus insurance to help you understand these coverages. After reading, you’ll know how much coverage is right for you. However, you can always contact us for a free quote.
What Is Auto Liability Insurance?
Illinois requires car owners to have liability insurance coverage to drive their vehicles legally. Liability insurance protects drivers’ personal assets if they cause damage or injury to other people. The minimum amount of liability coverage in Illinois is:
- $25,000 for injury or death of one person resulting from a crash.
- $50,000 for injury or death of more than one person resulting from a collision.
- $20,000 for damage to another person’s property.
While these are the minimum amounts of coverage required by law, you can increase these to much higher levels for an additional premium. Our agents can help you understand what coverage you should have to minimize risk and ensure the right balance between coverage and cost.
Liability insurance protects you against specific injury and damage claims and covers various circumstances. Specifically, liability insurance covers injury or damage to another person or their property, rather than you or your car.
Property damage could include damage to other vehicles, fences, light poles, trees, and houses resulting from an accident. In addition, liability insurance could cover a rental car while the claimant’s vehicle gets repaired.
It also might cover something called “diminished value,” which is the difference between what the property or vehicle is worth after an accident versus what it was worth before.
Injury coverage protects other people injured in an accident by paying for medical bills, prescriptions, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Medical expenses can be expensive and unpredictable, and if your auto liability policy doesn’t cover them, your personal assets could be at risk if a judgment is found against you. That’s why it’s essential to talk with a liability insurance specialist.
What Is Liability Plus Insurance?
Also known as “umbrella” insurance, liability plus policies have additional coverage in case of a large judgment against you. Your auto and property insurance policies protect you if you’re responsible for injuries or property damage. These policies typically have enough coverage to protect against routine accidents and injuries.
However, if you cause a serious accident or one occurs on your property that results in a significant judgment against you, you may not have enough coverage. As a result, your personal assets and even future earnings are at risk to settle the claim. It’s common to see lawsuits totaling millions of dollars, so it’s important to have sufficient insurance to protect yourself.
You can get umbrella insurance to cover up to $2 million or more for as little as $1,000 a year. These policies protect vehicle-related accidents and accidents in and around your home. For example, umbrella insurance can cover accidents or injuries on cracked sidewalks or incidents involving swimming pools and trampolines.
Your homeowner’s insurance typically covers dog bites, but lawsuits stemming from such events can lead to large settlements that may exceed your coverage. An umbrella insurance policy will cover these as well. Adding this extra layer of protection gives you peace of mind, knowing your personal assets aren’t at risk.
What Is SR-22 Insurance?
Also known as “financial responsibility” insurance, Illinois requires SR-22 insurance for people with a history of driving issues. These include safety responsibility suspensions, license revocations, unsatisfied judgment suspensions, and mandatory insurance supervision. In addition, drivers with three or more convictions for mandatory insurance violations must have SR-22 insurance.
Processing SR-22 insurance policies can take up to 30 days. At American Auto Insurance, once we receive your payment, we submit a request for the SR-22 certificate to the Secretary of State’s office. You’ll then receive a letter from us and the Secretary of State’s office, following which, you must maintain the SR-22 for three years.
If you fail to make payments or let the SR-22 expire, the state will suspend your driving record and license until you renew. You must renew the SR-22 at least 45 days before its expiration date to avoid additional suspensions.
There are three types of SR-22 certificates, all of which we issue in compliance with Illinois law.
SR-22 Operator’s Certificate
An operator’s certificate covers the driver in the operation of any vehicle they don’t own. You may need this type of SR-22 if you don’t own a vehicle but drive a car owned by a family member, friend, or employer.
SR-22 Owner’s Certificate
The SR-22 owner’s certificate covers vehicles the driver owns, and all vehicles must be listed on the SR-22. So, if you own multiple cars and need SR-22 insurance, you must list all your vehicles on the certificate.
SR-22 Operator-Owner’s Certificate
This certificate covers any vehicle you drive, whether you own it or not. You might need this coverage if you own a car but also drive a work vehicle owned by your employer. It may also be necessary if you need to borrow another person’s car frequently.
An alternative to SR-22 insurance would require a deposit of $70,000 in cash or securities with the Illinois State Treasurer. Or you could file a surety or real estate bond.
Review Your Illinois Auto Liability Policy Today
American Auto Insurance offers complete auto insurance policies, including liability and umbrella coverage for all drivers. Our history of providing quality service at the lowest prices possible makes us the logical place to shop for auto insurance.
If you want to save money or need SR-22 insurance, we recommend you CALL NOW at 773-286-3500 and speak with one of our agents. They’ll answer any questions and help you choose a policy that suits your needs. Alternatively, you can request a free quote online. You can receive your quotation and activate your policy in minutes.
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