Tmerno
It is nearly impossible to own a car these days without purchasing third-party liability insurance.
In fact, traffic events are almost always independent of the driver’s behavior. Even an experienced driver can be involved in accidents, crashes and other problems.
Therefore, it is recommended that you learn about the main features of third-party damage insurance and look for a service that meets your needs. Keep reading!
What is civil liability?
Our legislation protects people and their property against possible damages caused by third parties. To this end, there are rules that organize human conduct in society, such as traffic rules, laws on coexistence in neighborhoods, definition of crimes, etc.
It turns out that, often, prevention measures do not prevent damage from occurring, especially when luck is involved.
Therefore, the Law also establishes the obligation to repair the damages caused, known as civil liability.
What is liability insurance?
When involved in a traffic incident, the driver may be required to repair the damages caused to third parties.
In these cases, civil liability insurance allows reimbursement of amounts paid, provided that the accident was involuntary.
This protection is called optional, since it works as a complement to DPVAT insurance. After all, the mandatory solution is unlikely to cover all the consequences of an accident.
How does liability insurance work?
Liability insurance shares many of the same characteristics as other policies, although it differs in terms of its coverage. Here are the main points:
Payment of the premium
Insurance works by paying an amount to the insurer, which is called the premium.
This value is different for each person, due to risk calculations and coverage limits.
However, in general, prices are quite affordable for those who can afford to use a car.
Roof
Civil liability insurance covers two types of damages caused to third parties:
- Material damage, that is, to the property of the victim of the event;
- Personal injury, that is, the physical integrity of the victim.
In both cases, the person responsible for the damage cannot be intentional. For example, people cannot create an accident with the intention of replacing the vehicle with the insurance reimbursement amount.
Finally, it is worth noting that some insurance companies offer protection against moral damages.
This additional benefit increases the insured’s margin of safety. After all, the insurance also covers the deep suffering caused to the third party, which is normally compensated in a legal proceeding.
Amounts paid
Generally, the insured can choose the scope of civil liability insurance from among the solutions offered by the insurance broker.
In this sense, it is important to emphasize that the concepts of personal and material damages are quite broad. Therefore, the amount chosen must be sufficient to guarantee payment for several items, for example:
- hospital expenses, medicines, physiotherapy and the like;
- repair or replacement of vehicles, often of high value;
- Belongings destroyed as a result of the event, among others.
In fact, insurance policies with coverage below R$100,000 represent a risk for the insured. After all, the money reimbursed may not be enough to cover the debt.
Therefore, the ideal is to opt for a significant amount, especially because the cost of this additional coverage is relatively low.
Liability of the insurer and the insured
In the event of damages caused to third parties, the insurer will be liable up to the coverage limit, for the items covered by the protection.
Such reimbursement may occur in a legal proceeding or in an agreement authorized by the provider.
However, the insured will be responsible for paying for any amounts and points not covered.
Why take out liability insurance?
Indeed, in traffic, drivers are constantly performing maneuvers that can cause harm to third parties: they park, overtake, cross intersections, etc.
It turns out these unplanned events may lead to a totally disproportionate result regarding driver actions. For example:
- a light collision with an imported car can result in a large amount of compensation due to the value of its parts;
- A simple bump can knock a motorcyclist down and cause serious personal injury.
On the other hand, it is important to highlight that compensation is not the result of the driver’s bad faith, but only of responsibility for the damaging event.
Often, the loss is simply a matter of luck. The car may, for example, have faulty brakes, steering, etc.
Therefore, the main reason for taking out civil liability insurance is the unpredictability of both the occurrence and the value of compensation for material and personal damages.
What are the main advantages of liability insurance?
Civil liability insurance brings several advantages to the insured. See the main examples below:
1. Protection of assets
In a legal compensation process, the debtor’s assets will be used to pay financial compensation to the accident victim.
Therefore, having insurance prevents the exposure of valuable assets, such as cars, apartments, houses, jewelry and amounts in bank accounts and investments.
2. Predictability of expenses
Every driver takes risks when driving their vehicle, although only a few prepare for the possible losses.
In this sense, insurance is a way of making expenses predictable. That is, instead of risking compensation that ranges from tens to thousands, the insured assumes responsibility for a fixed monthly or annual amount.
3. Guarantee of compensation to victims
In many cases, the driver who caused the accident wants to repair the damage, but does not have the necessary funds.
Consequently, insurance is also a way of keeping a clear conscience about your actions in traffic.
4. Greater peace of mind and security
The benefits mentioned converge towards greater peace of mind and security regarding everyday events.
In effect, liability insurance eliminates hassles and allows the insured to focus on other parts of life, such as family, profession, studies, relationships, etc.
