The General Car Insurance Review

Introduction

The General is a good choice for drivers who have had trouble getting auto insurance from other companies in the past because of things like bad credit, moving violations, accidents, or insurance gaps.

Pros and Cons

The General Auto Insurance Coverages

The General sells all kinds of standard car insurance, from the minimum required by your state to full coverage with high limits. The main kinds of car insurance are:

• Bodily injury liability.
• Property damage liability.
• Collision coverage.
• Comprehensive coverage.
• Medical payments.
• Personal injury protection.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

Additional Coverage Options

• Deductible waiver - safety equipment: The deductible waiver is an optional coverage that lets drivers file a claim for repairs to safety equipment without having to pay a deductible. At the moment, the deductible waiver covers windshields, door and window glass, and back glass.
• Custom equipment: This add-on covers damage to your car's aftermarket parts, like fog lights, bed liners, and camper shells. Policyholders can add up to $5,000 in extra coverage for accessories, except in California, where the limit is only $1,000. Also, only drivers with collision and comprehensive insurance can get this coverage.
• Roadside assistance: Roadside assistance is available 24/7. This option includes services like towing, battery replacement, fluid delivery (gas, oil, etc.), and help getting into a locked car.
• Hospital indemnity plan: This is an optional add-on that covers accidental death and dismemberment for up to $10,000, medical expenses for up to $1,000, and hospital bills for up to $125 per day for up to a year.
• OBEL (optional basic economic loss) coverage: OBEL (optional basic economic loss) coverage is extra no-fault coverage that pays for costs above the basic no-fault limit, such as lost wages, therapy, or other forms of economic loss like health care costs, that aren't covered by basic no-fault coverage.
• Towing and labour: An add-on that pays for having your car towed. It's only available in some states and only for cars with collision and full coverage.
• Income loss: Pays up to the coverage limits you choose if you have an accident and can't go to work because of it.
• Funeral benefit: This pays for a funeral, burial, or cremation if the insured person dies from injuries within 24 months of an accident that was covered by the policy.
• Accidental death: If an insured person dies in an accident that is covered by the policy, the policy pays the person's family or personal representative.
• Combination first-party benefits: Pays for medical bills, lost income, accidental death, and funeral expenses all at once. The total limit is $177,500, and each category has its own limit.
• Extraordinary medical benefits: Covers up to $1 million in medical and rehabilitation care. Available only to policyholders who choose $100,000 in medical coverage or a combination of first-party benefits.
• Loan/lease payoff: Pays off the difference between how much your car is worth when it's stolen or written off and how much you still owe on it. To buy this insurance, you need to have both collision and comprehensive insurance.

To understand more, check out types of auto insurance coverage in the US.

The General Auto Insurance Rates

The General car insurance rates by age

The General car insurance rates by coverage

The General Auto Insurance Discounts

• Pay-in-full discount.
• Multi-car discount.
• Homeowner discount.
• Good student discount.
• Discount for completing a defensive driver course.
• Discount for having passive restraints in your vehicle.
• Safe driver discount.
• Previous insurance discount: If you have had insurance with another company in the last five years and switch to The General, you can get a discount.
• Military discount (Louisiana only).
• Double deductible discount - For the first 45 days of your policy, the double deductible discount doubles your deductible. This, in turn, lowers your insurance costs over the same time period. However, after 45 days, your auto insurance deductible returns to its normal level, limiting the usefulness of this discount for the majority of customers.

Here are some more discounts you can get from The General. But not all of these are available in all states.

The General Complaints and Customer Satisfaction

When getting car insurance from most other companies, you have to work with an agent. But with the General, you can get a quote and buy coverage online. And if you need proof of car insurance right away, you can print out your insurance card after buying your policy.

Customer service at The General can be reached by phone, secure email, or online chat. The J.D. Power Auto Claims Satisfaction Study does not include the General. But the insurance-focused credit rating agency AM Best gave the parent company of the General an "A" (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating.

AM Best's Financial Strength Ratings show how stable a company's finances are and whether or not you can count on it to pay out benefits if you file a claim. The General's complaint ratio for private passenger insurance in 2021 was 1.83.

Way Summary

The General can help you if you have had trouble finding a car insurance company that will cover you because of your driving record or your credit. It specialises in policies for people who have broken the law while driving in the past.

In states where it is licenced, it will offer SR-22 insurance. You can get insurance online and quickly meet the minimum state requirements. But drivers with good records will find that The General is expensive and has few options for coverage.

About The General Car Insurance

The General Automobile Insurance Services, Inc., or "The General" for short, has its main office in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of PGC Holdings Corporation, which is a partner of American Family Insurance. PGC was started in 1963 and has been selling auto insurance for more than 50 years, but it didn't start selling insurance through The General until April 1997.

If you are a high-risk driver, you might be better off with the General. This includes drivers who have been in accidents in the past, had a break in their insurance coverage, have a low credit score, or are over 65 years old.

The General's auto insurance is much cheaper than that of its competitors, so even if you are a high-risk driver, you may still be able to get cheap insurance. Even if you are not a high-risk driver, you may be able to save time and money by combining cheap auto insurance with life insurance or insurance for your recreational vehicle.

Contact details

Claim contact number: 800-280-1466