Accident Terms and Definitions

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

Subpoena
Document issued by the authority of the court to compel a witness to appear and give testimony or produce documentary evidence in a proceeding. Failure to appear or produce is punishable by contempt of court.

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).

Cancellation
The termination of an insurance policy before its normal expiration date.

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

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

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

Airbag Deployment
Occurs when the driver, passenger or side airbag has been used or deployed during a crash or other incident.

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

Comparative Negligence
The percentage of fault shared by each driver in an accident in which both contribute to causing the collision.