Accident Terms and Definitions

Policy
Written contract of insurance.

Comprehensive Coverage
Pays for damage to your car caused by reason other than collision, such as fire, theft, windstorm, flood, etc.

Hearsay
Evidence based on what the witness has heard someone else say, rather than what the witness has personally experienced or observed.

Collision
Pays for damage to your car caused by a collision with another vehicle or with any other object, regardless who was at fault.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UMC)
Provides coverage for a policyholder involved in a collision with a driver who does not have liability insurance.

Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Pays for bodily injury or wrongful death caused by an underinsured motor vehicle (that is, a vehicle which is insured, but at an amount that is less than your uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) limits).

Claim
Notice to an insurer of a loss that under the terms and conditions of a policy may be covered.

Venue
The specific county, city or geographical area in which a court has jurisdiction

Exclusion
A contractual provision in an insurance policy that denies coverage for certain perils, persons, property, or locations.

Deductible
The amount of the loss which the insured is responsible to pay before benefits from the insurance policy are payable.