Liability
May help pay for injuries or property damage you cause to others in a covered accident.
Auto insurance
Auto insurance built around how you actually drive.
Most people buy an auto policy once and then only think about it after something happens. A short review now is usually easier than working out what you have in the middle of a bad week.
Common auto insurance coverages
A personal auto policy combines several types of coverage. We can help you understand what each one does and review the options, limits and deductibles that fit your needs.
Collision
May help repair or replace your vehicle after a covered collision with another vehicle or object.
Comprehensive
May help with covered losses such as theft, fire, hail, vandalism or an animal strike.
Personal injury protection
May help with certain medical expenses, wage loss and other costs after an accident, subject to the policy terms.
Uninsured and underinsured motorists
May help when you are injured by a driver who has no insurance or does not have enough liability coverage.
Roadside and rental options
Optional coverage may be available for towing, roadside service or temporary transportation after a covered loss.
If you are concerned that a serious accident could exceed your liability limits, personal umbrella insurance may be worth reviewing.
Talk with a local insurance agent
Dassel State Insurance Agency works with drivers throughout Minnesota. Call, text or request a quote and we will help you review your options.
Choosing a deductible
A deductible is the amount you agree to absorb before coverage applies to a given claim. A higher deductible generally lowers the premium and raises what you pay out of pocket when something happens; a lower one does the reverse. The useful question is not which number is cheapest, but which number you could actually cover on short notice without it being a problem.
Who else drives the car
Household drivers matter more than most people expect. A new driver in the house, an adult child home from school, a roommate who borrows the car, or someone who has moved out and taken a vehicle with them can all change what should be on the policy. Telling us about these changes is much better than having them come up for the first time after a claim.
When your situation changes
A policy reflects the facts as they were the day it was written. Any of these is worth a phone call:
- Buying, selling or replacing a vehicle
- A change in who lives in the household or who drives
- A move, including within the same town
- A meaningful change in commute or annual mileage
- Using a personal vehicle for work, deliveries or rideshare
- Adding a lender or paying a vehicle off
Home and auto together
Where it is practical, some people prefer to keep home and auto with the same carrier. It can simplify billing and renewals, and in some cases it affects how each policy is priced. Whether it works out well in your case depends on the carriers involved and on what each policy actually offers, so it is worth comparing rather than assuming. If you would like, we can look at home insurance at the same time.
This page describes coverages in general terms. What your policy actually covers, and in what circumstances, depends on the policy you select and on the carrier, terms, conditions, limits and exclusions that apply to it. Nothing here confirms that any coverage is in force or available to you.
What to have ready for a quote
- Year, make and model of each vehicle, and the VIN if you have it handy
- Names and dates of birth for everyone in the household who drives
- Whether anyone in the household has had a license issue we should know about
- Roughly how far each vehicle is driven in a year, and whether it is used for work
- Your current policy declarations page, if you have one
- Any accidents, claims or violations in the last several years
- Whether a lender or lessor needs to be listed
Please keep sensitive details off the website form. Do not enter dates of birth, driver's license numbers, Social Security numbers or payment information into the quote form, and do not send them by ordinary email or text. We will explain how to provide sensitive driver information securely after we contact you.
Questions we hear
My teenager just got a license. Do I have to add them?
Talk to us before deciding either way. Drivers in your household are generally expected to be disclosed, and how a particular carrier wants a new driver handled varies. It is better to discuss a new household driver before they begin driving regularly than to discover a problem after a claim.
A deer ran into me. Is that collision or comprehensive?
Animal strikes are commonly handled under comprehensive rather than collision, which matters because the two can carry different deductibles. Which applies to your situation depends on your policy wording, so check the declarations page or ask us and we will look it up with you.
I deliver food some evenings in my own car. Does that change anything?
It can. Personal auto policies often treat driving for commercial purposes differently from personal use, and some exclude it. This is worth raising specifically rather than hoping it does not come up, because it is exactly the kind of detail that gets examined after an accident.
Ready to review your auto policy?
Call or text the office and we can usually tell you in a few minutes whether a change is worth making.