A
Accident Forgiveness
Accident forgiveness is a car insurance benefit to give drivers with a clean driving record a break if they have an accident.
At The Hartford, we understand every driver makes mistakes. As long as all the drivers on your car insurance policy have a clean driving record for five straight years with The Hartford, you’ll qualify for accident forgiveness.
‡
Account Credit
This applies to customers who have both their auto and home insured with us during the same policy period. You can apply this credit to both policies.
Act of God
An “
Act of God” refers to an accident or other natural event caused without human intervention that could not have been prevented by reasonable foresight or care. Most home insurance policies cover damage from these events, such as hurricanes, tornados and lightning storms. Acts of God caused by floods or earthquakes are not covered under standard home insurance policies, but you can purchase coverage separately.
Actual Cash Value (ACV)
Actual Cash Value is one way to measure the value of property that is being repaired or replaced after covered losses. It’s calculated by subtracting depreciation from replacement cost.
Alternative Fuel Discount
If you have an electric or hybrid vehicle on your auto policy, you may be eligible for a
car insurance discount.
B
Bodily Injury Liability (BI)
Bodily injury liability coverage helps protect you from financial loss and helps pay legal costs if you cause an auto accident and are found legally liable for injuring another person. The amount of coverage you receive depends on the liability insurance limits of your policy.
Bodily Injury Split Limits
Per your insurance contract, you’ll have two maximum limits for one accident. The first number is the maximum coverage amount for one injured person. The second number is the maximum coverage limit for one accident, including all those injured. For example, if your limit for bodily injury is 50/100, this means it’ll cover up to $50,000 total per person in an accident and up to $100,000 total per accident if there’s more than one injured person.
C
Car Insurance for Seniors
Car insurance for seniors refers to auto insurance that offers discounts or other features for drivers age 50 and older. The Hartford is proud to provide the only car insurance program endorsed by AARP, complete with exclusive benefits and savings just for experienced drivers.
Collision Coverage
Collision insurance helps pay for damage to your car that results from a collision with another vehicle, object or at-fault driver, but not an animal. Your collision policy is also subject to a
deductible. If you choose a higher deductible, you can pay less for insurance but may have to pay out-of-pocket costs if you get into an accident.
Without this coverage, it’s your financial responsibility to cover those repair or replacement costs in full.
Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive insurance coverage helps pay for repairs if something other than a collision damages your car, like a fire, theft or vandalism. It also helps cover damage done by an animal. Keep in mind that it’s subject to a deductible.
Comprehensive Driving Evaluation (CDE)
A comprehensive driving evaluation is a voluntary assessment that evaluates your ability to drive safely. If you’re aging, have a medical condition or haven’t driven for a while, it may be a good idea to take one.
If you carry medical payments coverage and are injured in an accident while driving, we'll cover the cost of an optional comprehensive driving test. State-licensed occupational therapists give you these exams. Availability can vary by state.§§
Customized Equipment Coverage Endorsement
This gives you coverage for customized equipment like special carpeting, suspension lift kits, rims, captain’s chairs and murals on an eligible pickup or van.
D
Defensive Driver Credit (DDC)
You can get a
defensive driving course discount with The Hartford if you’ve completed an approved defensive driving course such as the
AARP Driver Safety Course. You can enjoy a discount of up to 5% on your car insurance for the next three years. Just send us a copy of your certificate, and we’ll apply the credit to your car insurance premium.
Disappearing Deductible
Disappearing deductible is an automobile insurance benefit that helps reduce your collision deductible on your auto policy over time, as long as you are a safe driver and maintain a clean driving record.
‡
Driver Training Credit
A driver training credit is a discount we’ll apply to an auto policy for drivers who are under 21 years old (under 25 in Georgia) who finish an approved training course.
F
Fair Market Value
Fair market value is the price that an asset, such as your car, home or personal property, would sell at without any undue pressure. It refers to the agreed price between a willing buyer and seller who both have reasonable knowledge of the asset.
Full Glass Coverage
Auto glass insurance helps pay for repairs or replacement of damaged “safety” glass on your car without a deductible. This coverage varies by state.
G
Gap Insurance
I
Indemnification
Indemnification is an agreement between you and your insurance company to help restore your financial standing prior to the loss.
Insurance ID Card
An insurance ID card is given to you as proof of insurance when you buy coverage from us. It lists basic information like your name, policy number, effective dates and the year of your car. It also includes your car’s make and model.
L
Limited Mexico Coverage
You’ll need separate liability coverage from a licensed insurance company in Mexico if you want to drive there.
Limited Tort
This is a less expensive insurance option that limits your ability to sue and recover costs resulting from an accident. Keep in mind it’s not available in all states.
M
Medical Payments Coverage for Auto
Medical payments auto insurance helps cover you, family members and passengers if you have injuries from a car accident. It also helps cover you if you’re hit by a car as a pedestrian.
Motor Home Lay Up Credit
This is an available credit for customers who have a motor home on their auto policy that they haven’t driven for one to five months. We’ll put this credit on your motor home and
RV insurance policy.
N
New Car Replacement
New car replacement coverage helps if you total your new car. We’ll pay to replace it with a new car of the same make, model and equipment without subtracting anything for depreciation.§§
P
Passive Restraint
A “passive restraint” in car insurance terms is a car safety feature that helps protect passengers. In many cases, it activates automatically like a seat belt or an airbag.
Peril
With regard to insurance terms, a peril refers to the cause of loss. Certain perils include fire, hail or vandalism.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Often referred to as
no-fault insurance,
personal injury protection helps cover medical bills and lost wages resulting from an automobile accident. This coverage applies no matter who is at fault. However, it doesn’t cover property damage, and it’s not available in all states.
Paid-in-Full Discount
A paid-in-full discount is available for customers who pay their auto policy in full rather than in installments.
Property Damage Liability
R
RecoverCare Essential Services Coverage
RecoverCare§ coverage helps pay for home services if you’re injured in an accident and can’t do them yourself. We’ll reimburse you up to $2,500 for household services that you can’t complete because of an injury, which can include cleaning, cooking, snow removal, lawn maintenance and transportation.
Rental Reimbursement/Transportation Expense
If you can’t drive your car because of a covered loss and you need to rent a motor vehicle, this coverage can help pay the cost up to your rental car insurance policy limit. This is also known as
rental reimbursement coverage and is only available if you carry comprehensive coverage and collision insurance.
Replacement Cost Coverage for New Cars
If you total your new car, we’ll pay to replace it with a new vehicle of the same make, model and equipment. There is also no deduction for depreciation.§§
Roadside Assistance
Roadside assistance is a car insurance benefit that offers 24/7 nationwide emergency roadside services for customers of The Hartford.
Roadside assistance includes towing service, locksmith service, flat-tire service and more.
S
Stacked vs. Non-Stacked
If your coverage limits are stacked, the amount available for a covered loss is equal to your limit times the number of cars on your policy. If your coverage is non-stacked, then the policy limit is the maximum available.
Subrogation
Subrogation is a term that describes the legal right held by most insurance carriers to pursue a third party that caused a loss to their customer.
T
Towing and Labor Coverage
Also known as
Roadside Assistance, towing and labor coverage is a 24/7 nationwide emergency roadside assistance benefit for The Hartford’s customers.
U
Umbrella Policy
In insurance, an umbrella policy extends your protection beyond your existing auto or home policies, offering increased protection against claims or lawsuits.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage (Bodily Injury)
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage
V
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Your car’s
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is its unique 17-character serial number. Generally, it’s found on the dashboard, driver's side door jamb, vehicle's registration form and/or insurance card. You can learn more by visiting the
DMV website.
Vehicle Safety Technology Discount
If your car has adaptive headlights or a forward collision warning system, you may be eligible for a vehicle safety technology discount.