Wording of Auto Insurance Policies Drives Many Americans Up a Wall, InsuranceQuotes.com Poll Shows

AUSTIN, TX--May 19, 2011: More than one-third of insured American drivers who have read at least part of their auto insurance policies have had trouble making sense of them, according to an online Harris Interactive poll commissioned by InsuranceQuotes.com.

Eighty-seven percent of drivers who currently have auto insurance said they had read at least some of their auto insurance policies. Thirty-six percent of those drivers said their auto insurance policies were somewhat or very difficult to understand.

Even though more than 30 states have enacted laws designed to simplify the language in insurance policies -- including auto and home -- many consumers are confused by how their policies are written, and have trouble determining what's covered and what's not.

"Fortunately, a group formed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners is working on bringing more clarity to the wording of insurance policies. Unfortunately, changes based on the group's recommendations may be years down the road," said John Egan, managing editor of InsuranceQuotes.com.

Experts recommend that if you're not certain what your auto insurance policy covers, don't wait until you're in an accident and need to file a claim to find out the answer. Instead, get in touch with your insurance agent or company before an emergency arises. It's their job to ensure that you understand your policy, and know what it does and does not cover.

Generally, though, most experts agree it's not necessary to memorize all of the nitty-gritty details of your insurance policy, as long as you've gotten clarification on the general provisions and understand the amount of coverage you have.

"Reading your insurance policy may not be the best way to spend your time unless you want to put yourself to sleep," Eli Lehrer, a spokesman for the nonprofit Heartland Institute, told InsuranceQuotes.com. "What's important is getting the right coverage."

For more information about the poll and the readability of insurance policies, visit Insurance Quotes.