Auto Insurance

Even the most careful drivers can cause an accident and they don't even have to be 100 percent at fault in the accident to be financially liable for injuries and property damage. Two common types of auto liability protection are:

• Bodily Injury (BI), which pays for claims to a person you may have injured.
• Property Damage, which pays to repair or replace another person's car or property that you've damaged.

Your liability limit should be high enough to protect all the assets you've worked so hard to get. That's because those assets may be targeted in a lawsuit, if you're involved in a serious auto accident. Your assets include the total values of your house, vehicles, personal possessions, savings accounts, and more.

For added security and peace of mind, consider purchasing more than the minimum liability limits required by law; the additional cost for higher limits is relatively small compared to the additional protection you receive. If you have substantial assets that exceed the highest liability limit we offer, consider a personal excess liability ("umbrella") policy.

Comprehensive coverage pays for physical damage to your auto caused by things such as fire, theft, hail, vandalism, and animals. These events are called "perils" in your policy. Some examples of a comprehensive loss include:

• your auto is struck by debris that falls from an overpass
• your auto is damaged by a tree falling on it
• your auto is partly or totally submerged in water
• your auto is maliciously scratched
• your auto's tires are slashed
• your auto's windshield is cracked by a stone

Collision coverage pays for physical damage if your auto is hit by another vehicle or runs into an object. This coverage will pay for damage to your auto regardless of who causes the accident. Some examples of a collision loss include:

• your auto strikes or is struck by another auto
• you hit a pedestrian, damaging your auto (the pedestrian’s injuries are covered under liability coverage]
• your auto hits debris lying in the road
• your auto strikes a tree or fence
• your auto is struck by a shopping cart

You can make comprehensive and/or collision coverage choices individually for each of your insured vehicles.

Wear-and-tear, freezing, mechanical breakdown, or road damage to tires by potholes are not covered by your auto insurance policy. Check your policy for other restrictions.

If you own your car and simply drive to and from your principal place of business, this is considered personal use and will be covered under your personal policy.

If in addition to commuting to work, you also use your vehicle for other business-related driving, such as traveling on sales calls or carrying tools, supplies, and equipment to a job site, this is considered business use. It may or may not be covered under your personal policy.

To ensure that you have the appropriate insurance for your needs, consult with a qualified insurance representative and check your policy for restrictions.

You, members of your family who live in your house, and anyone who uses your car with your permission are covered under your auto policy. See policy for details.

Yes. With a MetLife Auto & Home auto insurance policy, anyone who drives your car with your permission is covered under your policy. See policy for details and restrictions. Note, if someone pays you to use your car, you will not be covered.

If you're driving someone else's car and you get into an accident, the insurance on the borrowed car would be tapped first to pay for damages. If that insurance weren't adequate, then your personal auto insurance would kick in too. See policy for details.

It's the amount deducted from the payment to you before your policy kicks in. For instance, if you have an auto insurance policy with a $200 collision deductible, the first $200 to repair the damage to your car will be deducted from the payment you receive from your policy. If repairs only cost $150, you will be responsible for the payment. But if your covered repairs cost $1,000, $200 will be deducted and your insurance will pay $800. You may select different deductibles for collision and comprehensive coverages

Absolutely. The higher your deductible, the lower your premium. That's because you're willing to pay a bigger amount of a loss in the event of an accident. Always make sure that if a loss does happen that you will be financially prepared to handle a higher deductible. Consult MetLife Auto & Home for a free auto quote with several different deductibles to see how they affect your premium.

There are many things you can do to make sure you’re getting the best premium possible.

• Research before buying. Learn what cars are the least expensive to insure. MetLife Auto & Home offers discounts for cars that have antitheft devices, air bags, and antilock brakes, for example. MetLife Auto & Home can give you free, no-obligation quotes on any cars you're considering purchasing; just call us with the VINs of the vehicles you're interested in buying
• Take advantage of MetLife Auto & Home's multi-policy discounts, which provide discounts on certain coverages when you purchase two or more policies, such as an auto and homeowners policy. 
• Increase your deductible
• Maintain a good driving record
• Maintain a good credit rating
• Take a driver safety course

Yes! At MetLife Auto & Home, the same coverages you have on your present auto policy also apply to any cars you rent. So, for example, if you have collision and comprehensive coverages on your current auto policy, you’ll also have them when you're renting a car for vacation, a pick-up truck for moving, or a substitute vehicle while yours is in the shop. Be warned, though: Other insurance companies may not cover rental cars automatically

The coverages you have on your present auto policy also apply to cars you rent. But if you don't carry collision or comprehensive on at least one insured vehicle, you may not have these coverages on a rental car, depending on state law. To be safe, check with your agent or call MetLife Auto & Home's customer service center to confirm your coverages.

Some drivers don't have auto insurance, even when they're legally required to buy it. And, if you're involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, that driver may not be able to pay for your damages. UM coverage protects you and your passengers from injury-related damages caused by either an uninsured driver or a hit-and-run driver. In a few states, damages to your car may also be included.

UIM protects you and your passengers when an accident is caused by someone who has auto insurance, but is underinsured.

If your friend had Uninsured Motorists (UM) or Underinsured Motorists (UIM) protection, you would be covered under your friend's policy. If your friend didn't have UM or UIM, you would receive protection under your own UM or UIM coverage. Note: Some states specify the order in which policies can be pursued for UM/UIM coverage.

Adjusting insurance premiums is not an easy decision. We want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to keep your insurance costs at MetLife Auto & Home equitable, while providing you with quality service. If an accident or loss occurs, certain factors can result in an increase to your policy premium, including:

• Determination of fault
• Amount of damages paid
• State regulations
• Previous accident and violation (conviction) history
• Type of accident or violation
• Severity of accident or violation

You can file a claim against the other driver by contacting that person's insurance company or agent. You will need to give the other company your insurance information and tell it what type of claim you wish to make. If you need assistance, contact a MetLife Auto & Home claim professional.

Our appraisal staff will contact you within one business day of receiving their assignment. Assignments are made in a timely manner when an inspection is required. In most cases, your vehicle will be seen within a few days.

If an estimate is written by a MetLife Auto & Home appraiser, a check is often processed that same day, so you can begin the repair process as soon as possible. If you utilize our Guaranteed Repair Program (where available), the shop will generally submit estimates to our Claim Department the same day. All appraisals are quickly transmitted and reviewed for accuracy before payment is issued. In Massachusetts, our guaranteed repair program is called the Platinum Auto Service Program.

Initial appraisals often list visible damages only. In some cases, there is additional loss-related damage that is discovered after the repair process has begun. If additional loss-related damage to your vehicle is identified, your repair shop will advise the appraiser who wrote MetLife Auto & Home’s estimate. The appraiser will then write up a supplemental estimate that includes the additional damage, and a second check will be issued to you from MetLife Auto & Home.

Each claim may involve multiple insurance coverages. MetLife Auto & Home has specialized claim professionals dedicated to specific aspects of your claim in order to provide the most efficient customer service. The professionals who may be handling your claim may include a:

• Primary adjuster who conducts a thorough investigation of the facts of an accident
• Field adjuster who performs the vehicle appraisal
• Total loss specialist who finalizes the value of your vehicle
• Medical payments/personal injury protection adjuster who makes sure bills for such things as an ambulance and emergency room visits are handled properly

If you don't know who to contact, simply call the primary adjuster, who will either help you or refer you to the best person to address your question or concern.

No. MetLife Auto & Home^® can provide you with a list of quality repair shops in your area, but you are never obligated to use one of these shops. However, they are professional facilities that have demonstrated histories of quality repairs. In states where the law allows, we guarantee your auto’s repair at these shops for as long as you own your vehicle.

If the estimates are different, MetLife Auto & Home's appraiser will work with the repair shop to resolve the differences. This process is seamless and does not require any involvement by the policyholder.

Not if you purchased collision coverage. With collision coverage, we will pay for damage to your car minus your deductible, regardless of who is at fault. If the other driver was at fault, we will try to recover the cost of the damage from the driver and reimburse you for any deductible charges you may have paid.

Contact your primary claim adjuster right away. You will be asked to mail or fax a copy of your vehicle’s title with the stamp indicating that the lien was discharged. The claim adjuster will forward the copy of the title to our service center, which will update your policy automatically.

If you lease your vehicle or if you are still making loan payments, the leasing company or lienholder must be listed on the check. We are obligated to protect the lienholder’s or leasing company’s interest in the vehicle. Often the lienholder or leasing company’s name is listed as an additional payee on MetLife Auto & Home's check for damages to your vehicle.

To cash the check, simply contact your lienholder's or leasing company's customer service department to find out how it will arrange to endorse the check. Once it has been endorsed, you can deposit it into your bank account. This is a common practice, and the lienholder or leasing company should have well-established procedures to handle the matter for you as efficiently as possible.