Snowmobile insurance has both positives and negatives.
If you're a snowmobile enthusiast, you look forward to the winter so you can bring your machine to the open terrain and ride to your heart's content. Though snowmobile insurance is not mandatory in most circumstances, you want to buy it anyway because of the many benefits and protections it offers you. However, this type of insurance has its problems as well. Make the best decision you can by recognizing common snowmobile insurance.
Availability
Most major insurance companies offer snowmobile policies for their customers, but even these companies do not offer the coverage everywhere they operate. Geico, for example, does not offer coverage in Hawaii, North Carolina, Texas or Washington D.C., as of October 2010. Progressive only offers the coverage in 31 states. The biggest problem with snowmobile insurance is that you may not be able to obtain it in the first place.
Coverage Differences
Every insurance company is typically permitted to write its own policies for all types of insurance, including for snowmobiles. Unlike other types of insurance, however, where the policy form is fairly standard and only the details vary from company to company, snowmobile insurance can vary widely between companies. For example, Progressive includes accessory coverage of a minimum amount with either comprehensive or collision coverage, and allows you to purchase higher limits for more premiums. This coverage includes safety apparel as well as any modifications you made to the machine. Nationwide, by contrast, includes safety apparel coverage at $2,000 only with collision, but covers snowmobile modifications separately up to $30,000 in comprehensive and collision.
Claims
Snowmobile insurance is a specialty coverage, and some insurance companies handle claims for snowmobiles differently than they do for more common insurance items like your car and home. Foremost Insurance is part of the Farmers Insurance Group, so you can buy your Foremost snowmobile insurance policy from your local Farmers agent. However, Foremost handles its own claims operations, so it has a different phone number and claims process than the rest of your Farmers policies. This can be an inconvenience when you sustain a loss and need to file a claim.
