This always amazes me - in the UK all insurance carries virtually
unlimited cover for any third parties costs in the event of an accident
being the fault of the insured, but as I understand it, this is not the
case in the states. If I were to crash off the road into a line of fifty
people (not that I intend to, you understand), all of whom consequently
need medical care for life, my insurance would cover it - even cheap
insurance. I can choose to pay for 'comprehensive' insurance, which will
cover my own costs, with various 'value' options in the event of my car
being destroyed from 'market value' through to 'agreed value' or
'independently valued'.

The main difference (in my thankfully minimal experience) is the way the
companies process claims and generally deal with clients - the end
result is pretty much the same.

As I understand it (and please correct me if I'm in error), in the US
somebody could run into me, destroy my $100,000 car (stop giggling at
the back, I'm hypothesising!) and if they have less cover, I'm basically
out of luck. Assuming I'm correct, what does one then do? sue them? and
if they can't afford decent insurance, what are the chances of them
having the money?

And what if the same person hits the line of people? are they out of
luck too? (obviously they weren't too lucky in the first place, but you
get my drift).

-Paul

P.S. I pay around $900 a year to insure the 308. I'm covered for around
replacement value of around $50,000 on the car... maybe more on a good
day ;-)

<<Not really. It's all matter of perspective.>>

Not really. It's all a matter of how much money you are being hosed
for.

<<I have a $150 US deductable.  Full coverage.  And I do mean full.
With the high price of parts it makes sense to me.>>

If you didn't have to pay so much in insurance every month, you could
invest that money and have plenty to buy parts with.

<<Not to mention I seem to get a speeding ticket about once a
month...>>

That's not something I'd brag about.

<<As long as I pick up a client in the cars or use them during the
course of work I can be creative with my taxes and make it a wash as
far as cost!>>

Neither is that.

<<I would think the one getting screwed would be the one who does not
have good insurance.>>

So if one is not paying $600/month for insurance then one must not have
*good* insurance? Doesn't follow.

The reason I said you're getting screwed was based on your assertion
that your vehicles were covered as *collector cars* and the fact that
my experience with this type of insurance appears to be vastly
different than yours.

<<But semantics are semantics....>>

Semantics count. Straw men don't.

C.