Travel can be very fun and exciting, especially international travel. I remember my first trip to Mexico. It was a very fun time, and the vacation of a lifetime. There are a few things that you need to be aware of before you travel to Mexico. Some legalities are more important than others, but one of the most important things to remember is to purchase Mexican car insurance before you cross the border.
I wanted to tell a story about a guy that thought that he was smarter than the insurance company, we’ll call him Bob. Bob thought that he didn’t have enough money to pay for insurance on his band new Mazda Pickup. He let his policy lapse for about thirty days, and was then involved in an accident. The accident was not something that he could have avoided. He then ran to my office and paid for his insurance without telling me about the accident. I reinstated the policy and two days later he filed a claim.
Of course the claim was denied for all of the obvious reasons. Bob didn’t know that insurance companies pay attention to not only the date of the accident, but also the time. They also pay attention to the date and time of any payments received. These are some of the things that they use to avoid paying fraudulent claims. Bob ended up losing about twenty thousand dollars.
Now, I would bet that most of you are wondering what this has do with Mexican car insurance. The answer to that question is that Bob didn’t understand any of the insurance procedures and the things that insurance companies do to avoid paying for fraudulent claims. Most people don’t understand what they need, as far as insurance is concerned when they travel to Mexico. Don’t be like Bob. You need to educate yourself before you travel.
The first thing that you need to be sure of is that you do indeed purchase insurance from a Mexican insurance company. Don’t believe that just because your insurance agent told you that your insurance policy provides coverage inside of Mexico that it is enough. Valid proof of financial responsibility can only be provided by a Mexican insurer. Failure to provide valid proof of financial responsibility is a felony in Mexico. If you have an accident in Mexico and you don’t have Mexican car insurance you will almost certainly go to jail. That is true even if your United States policy covers the accident. Don’t risk it; buy your insurance from a Mexican insurance carrier.
When looking at coverages on your Mexican car insurance there are some coverages that are listed as optional. You should not consider Legal Aid or Travel Assistance optional coverage. If you don’t have both of these coverages you will be paying for legal assistance out of your own pocket until liability is determined. These are inexpensive options and well worth the extra expense.
A two to five percent deductible is very common. It is a percentage of the value of the vehicle. When deciding which liability limit you should buy consider a combined single limit of no less than one hundred thousand dollars. Pain and suffering and emotional distress claims are not common in Mexico. The use of the combined single limit provides more coverage for property damage.
It can be the vacation of a lifetime; enjoy it. Before you go make sure that you familiarize yourself with Mexican statue and customs. Before you travel buy Mexican car insurance, don’t consider it optional because it is not.
Before you vacation in Mexico be certain that you purchase Mexican car insurance. The best time to buy it is now, and the best place to do all of your shopping of all of your car insurance for Mexico needs is right here.