If you have faithfully been renewing your auto insurance premium — congratulations! However, at E.S.T.I.R. Inc. in Bloomfield, NJ, we have seen many clients walk away with uncovered expenses following an auto accident because they carry inadequate coverage. Given these ugly incidences, it’s time to step back and ask: how much auto insurance do I need? Establishing the right amount of auto insurance you need helps you plan before it’s too late. 

Here is a guide to help you establish the amount of auto insurance you need in New Jersey.

One that satisfies your state requirements

Most states require motorists to include certain coverages in their auto insurance. For instance, New Jersey requires all motorists to carry liability insurance and personal injury protection (PIP) coverage in their car insurance. For any motorist, this becomes the basis of determining the amount of auto insurance you need.

As a rule of thumb, meeting your state-required minimums is not negotiable. This compliance helps you avert penalties and fines for not carrying valid auto insurance. 

How much collision and comprehensive coverage do I need?

These coverages pay for repairs or replacement of your car when it’s physically damaged. But how much do you need? You need coverage that takes care of your damages after factoring in your deductibles.

How much liability insurance should I buy?

While meeting the state requirements is superb, you need to increase your liability coverage for optimal protection. The amount of liability insurance to buy is one that can comfortably cover your lawsuits. For instance, a 250/500/100 coverage would be better than the 15/30/5 required in New Jersey. However, if you need more coverage, umbrella insurance would be perfect for you.

How much Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage do I need?

Well, it depends on whether you have a health insurance plan. While in some states, it’s optional, PIP is mandatory in New Jersey. You can stick to the state-required minimum if you have a good health insurance plan. But considering PIP is a good thing since it offers additional perks compared to health insurance. For instance, it covers partial loss of wages. 

Still unsure of how much auto insurance you need in Bloomfield, NJ? Please contact E.S.T.I.R. Inc. for more information.

Those that are in the Bloomfield, NJ area will find that it will always be helpful to own a car. When you are a vehicle owner here, you will have an easy way to get around the area. If you do decide to invest in a vehicle, you need to protect it with insurance. There are situations when someone will need to have this coverage in place on their car.

When Financing Purchase

A common situation in which having an auto insurance plan is going to be necessary is when you are financing the purchase. The purchase of a car can be a big one. Due to this, a lot of people have to take out a loan when they buy it. Anyone that has an outstanding auto loan will be required to carry an auto insurance plan at all times. This includes having collision and comprehensive protection, which can help to mitigate many risks including theft or accident damage. 

When Driving on Public Roadways

You should also have proper coverage for the car when you want to drive a vehicle on public New Jersey roadways. Anyone that would like to drive a car in this state has to follow state rules around liability insurance. If you do not keep this coverage in place at all times, you could be in violation of state law and face a variety of consequences. 

Car owners in the Bloomfield, NJ area should spend proper time assessing their coverage needs. As you are looking for coverage, you should call E.S.T.I.R. Inc. There are a lot of important factors to consider and the team with E.S.T.I.R. Inc. will ensure you are able to make a wise choice based on your needs and to provide you with comfort and peace of mind. 

There are many different types of auto insurance that are required for New Jersey drivers. Each state has its own requirements, and New Jersey has far more types of coverage required than most states. Call our E.S.T.I.R. Inc. office in Bloomfield, NJ to make your appointment with an agent to discuss your auto coverage. 

Standard and Basic Policies

In New Jersey, drivers have the choice between a basic insurance policy and a standard policy. Both meet the requirements for legal driving in the state. The basic policy requires a set minimum for property damage liability, another minimum amount for personal injury protection and a much higher minimum amount for protection against significant or permanent injuries.

The numbers are coverages are slightly different for the standard policy. This policy requires a set minimum for bodily injury liability per person injured as well as a higher minimum for everyone injured. It has another, the lower amount for property damage liability. It also includes coverage for underinsured or uninsured motorist bodily injury that has one set minimum for each injured person and another amount set for everyone injured. There is also personal injury protection that is in the same amount as in the basic policy. There is also coverage for personal injury protection for significant or permanent injuries. 

Other Insurance Coverage

In addition to the many types of insurance covered in these plans, there are also options and other coverage types that you can add onto your insurance. For instance, collision insurance, which covers your own vehicle, is an option that some drivers choose to have. 

Talk to an Agent

If you want to speak to an agent about your insurance needs, call our E.S.T.I.R. Inc. office in Bloomfield, NJ to make your appointment with one of our knowledgeable agents who can help you. It’s always best to have the auto coverage you need in case the worst should happen. 

In New Jersey, having car insurance is mandatory, and it comes with several minimums that your insurance policy must meet. The state is a no-fault state that results in your insurance coverage paying for your medical bills from an injury even if you are at fault for the accident. If you need auto insurance in New Jersey, contact us at E.S.T.I.R. Inc in Bloomfield, NJ to find out more. 

State Minimum Insurance Coverages

In New Jersey, there are hefty penalties for not having car insurance, and that can include jail time. To avoid punishment, you need insurance that meets the state’s mandatory minimums for each required coverage type. There is a specific minimum amount that you have to have to pay for each person’s bodily injury as well as an amount for all of the bodily injuries that are caused by the accident. You also have to have a specific amount to cover your liability for property damage. Another mandatory coverage type is a specific minimum amount for covering bodily injury to an uninsured motorist. There is also coverage required for property damage done during an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist. 

Other Auto Coverage

When you have all of the state’s required minimums for coverage, you don’t have any protection for your own vehicle’s damage. Collision and comprehensive insurance cover your vehicle, though it isn’t mandatory to carry this coverage. It’s a good idea to have it, however, as without it you would have to pay for all of your vehicle repairs out of pocket. 

Make Your Appointment

To get the auto coverage you need, contact us at E.S.T.I.R. Inc in Bloomfield, NJ, and make your appointment to talk to an insurance agent about the best coverage for you. 

E.S.T.I.R. Inc. provides insurance coverage to the Bloomfield, NJ community, as well as the surrounding areas. We strive to establish long term relationships with our clients. As an independent agency, we can help you find a custom policy specifically designed to suit your needs.

Auto Insurance Tips For The Winter

Auto insurance protects your vehicle as you travel around Bloomfield, NJ. The policy covers your vehicle if it is damaged or stolen. Comprehensive coverage is an asset if your vehicle gets damaged due to a natural disaster or is stolen. While you are preparing for the winter, here are things to consider regarding your auto insurance policy.

Check Your Tires

During the winter, driving becomes extremely dangerous at times. The likelihood of you being involved in an accident increases. However, one of the main ways that you can prevent a potential collision is by performing proper maintenance on your tires. Make sure that your tires have the appropriate air pressure to stabilize your vehicle. As the weather gets colder, your tires will start to lose pressure. You may need to replace all of your tires in order to ensure that you are safe on the road.

It is also important to make sure that the internal parts of your car are working properly. Schedule an oil change and check the fluids in your engine. Make sure that you have a good supply of antifreeze. Consider scheduling a tune-up as well.

During inclement weather, it can be difficult to see things clearly while you are driving. Make sure that you have a case of windshield wiper fluid and all of your lights are working properly. This will drastically reduce the likelihood that you will be involved in a collision with another vehicle while you are driving.

E.S.T.I.R. Inc. Will Help You Protect Your Vehicle

Visit our website to learn more information about auto insurance.  

Dealing with an auto accident is a stressful experience. At E.S.T.I.R. Inc. we provide auto insurance policies to protect you financially after an auto accident.

It’s important that you know how filing a claim works so that you can minimize some of the stress and uncertainty of experiencing an auto accident. The following are three things you should know about filing auto insurance claims in Bloomfield, NJ.

You need to exchange info with other drivers after an accident.

Drivers are expected to give one another some information after an accident. You should collect the names, license plate numbers, and insurance policy numbers of all the other drivers involved in the accident. You’ll also be expected to provide your own information to the other drivers. 

Taking pictures of the accident site and getting a police report could be good ideas.

After an accident, the insurance companies of the involved drivers often need to determine who was at fault in the accident. Taking pictures of the accident and getting a copy of any resulting police report could help your insurance company to prove that another driver was at fault. 

You may need to have collision coverage to be compensated for damage to your own vehicle. 

If you are deemed at fault in an accident, you may not be compensated for damages to your own vehicle if you don’t have collision coverage.

Collision coverage covers the costs of repairs to your own vehicle. This type of auto coverage is not required by law, but it is important to have for New Jersey drivers. 

If you have questions about auto insurance in Bloomfield, NJ, we’re here to help. Send us a message online or call us to inquire about our auto insurance policies at E.S.T.I.R. Inc. 

If your car is stolen or totaled, and it had some of your possessions inside, you generally are not going to be going to your auto insurance provider to get those items replaced.

That being said, there are certain items that you might be able to include on your auto insurance with the value of your car. A spare tire, for instance, might be included with the value of the car as, after all, it was part of the sticker price. But you generally won’t be writing an itemized inventory of everything that you keep in your car and turning that into your Bloomfield, NJ auto insurance agent.

Certain modifications and add-ons can be insured, as well. Again: With the total value of the car.

Fortunately, most of your possessions will be included in your home insurance, condo insurance, or renters insurance policy. If you have them included in your inventory, then it doesn’t really make a difference to your provider if the item was damaged or lost at home, or while it was in your car. You need to keep an up-to-date inventory as there’s no guarantee that an item will be covered without letting your home insurer know what they’re protecting. But your home insurer will cover possessions in your car as well as your home. This doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to leave expensive items in your car. Past a certain point, this can be regarded as negligence on your part, but your possessions are covered even in your vehicle.

If you’re still shopping around in Bloomfield, N.J. for an auto insurance provider, get in touch with us at E.S.T.I.R. Inc. At E.S.T.I.R. Inc. we can compare quotes and get you the insurance you need.

Are you a new driver in Bloomfield, NJ? Or have you been driving a while under someone else’s insurance policy and simply do not know much about auto insurance in general? At E.S.T.I.R. Inc. we want to make purchasing auto insurance and understanding your current policy as simple as possible. Here are some of the most common questions we receive about auto insurance in New Jersey. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Auto Insurance in 2020. 

• What type of auto insurance is required in NJ? In New Jersey, you must carry two types of liability insurance, property damage, and bodily injury. These are the minimum legal insurance requirements before you can register your vehicle. 
• How much coverage should I have? You can keep the minimum legal requirements only but it is easy to upgrade to more comprehensive coverage that will leave you in a better situation after a car accident, whether you are at fault or not. You can also customize your policy to fit your situation or specialized value of your vehicle. 
• My teenager just started driving should I increase coverage? It would be a good idea to upgrade if you only have liability. It is a requirement to add your teen driver to your insurance, be sure to ask about honor student rates and other considerations before they get behind the wheel for that first time. Once your teen purchases their own vehicle they can also purchase their own policy and if they no longer drive your vehicle they can easily be removed from the policy. 

If you have any further questions or if you want to purchase a policy contact us at E.S.T.I.R. Inc. We serve Bloomfield, NJ and the surrounding areas with quality insurance services to protect you and yours. 

It is common to wonder if it is better to carry the minimum liability or to attain full coverage for your vehicle. If you are trying to weigh out your options and understand the difference, E.S.T.I.R. Inc. is here to help. Let’s start with understanding what exactly full coverage auto insurance is for a Bloomfield, NJ driver.

Full coverage auto insurance is typically a combination of the following:

Liability Coverage- Coverage for other parties’ repairs and injuries if you are found at fault for an accident. In Bloomfield, NJ, the minimum required liability insurance is $15,000 for bodily injury per person (up to $30,000 per accident) and $5,000 in property damage per accident.

Collision Coverage- Coverage for repairs to your own vehicle if you are responsible for an accident with another car or object, such as a tree or stop sign.

Comprehensive Coverage- Coverage for auto repairs or replacement for certain covered events, such as theft, vandalism, fire, weather, and more.

You have the option to add on other coverage, such as uninsured motorist insurance to cover damage caused by another person who does not have insurance.

Though liability is all that is required by law, it is not always enough to cover the costs incurred during an accident. And it does not help repair or replace your car in the event that you are at fault in an accident, so you will have to cover those costs out-of-pocket. Without enough in savings, that could be a problem.

It is important to understand that no matter how careful a driver you are, there is no guarantee that you will never be in an accident. Safe driving does limit the possibility, but it does not eradicate it altogether. There will always be things you cannot control, such as the way other people drive or certain road conditions.

It is always better to be safe than sorry. Let us help you with the protection you need. Give E.S.T.I.R. Inc. a call or stop by today for a free, no-obligation full coverage quote!

When you own a vehicle there are many things that can happen to it. Some things can happen that have nothing to do with driving. Bloomfield, NJ is no exception, it offers just as many challenges to drivers and vehicle owners like any other city in the United States. At E.S.T.I.R. Inc. we are here to help you to make sure that you have all the auto insurance coverage that you need at a price you can live with.

If you have a vehicle for which you have a loan or a lease, they will require that you carry insurance to protect their investment. Comprehensive insurance is one of these coverages. It is often referred to as non-collision insurance since it does not cover your vehicle from a collision with another vehicle or stationary object. That sort of event is covered by collision insurance.

So what does the comprehensive auto insurance cover? It covers certain weather events. It will pay to repair the damage done by hail which in New Jersey can sometimes be quite large and damaging. It covers damage caused by strong winds which can cause the limbs of trees to fall on vehicles. Comprehensive insurance will also cover your car from flood damage which can be caused by hurricanes or just excessive rain.

In the event that your car is involved in a hit and run and you no idea who caused the damage, if you have comprehensive insurance you will be covered. It will also replace your windshield if it is cracked or a chip. If you travel in the countryside of New Jersey and a deer jumps into the road and you make contact with it, the damage can be devastating, luckily it will be covered. But perhaps the most important coverage is theft if your car is stolen your insurance will replace it up to the value of your policy.

There are other coverages that you may get with a comprehensive policy, at E.S.T.I.R. Inc. in Bloomfield, NJ we will find the right policy from the carrier that offers the coverage you need. Give us a call or stop by for a no-obligation quote.