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Direct Auto & Life Insurance Review

Direct Auto
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Nadav Shemer
Apr. 16, 2021
3 min read
Nadav Shemer
Direct Auto Summary
Direct Auto & Life Insurance provides a full suite of car insurance policies to motorists in 10 southern states – from Virginia down to Florida and across to Texas. It also offers life insurance and motorcycle insurance, allowing you to bundle in your car insurance with other types of coverage for discounts and rewards. All its car insurance products are underwritten or administered by members of the Direct General Group in Nashville, Tennessee.

Direct Auto at a glance

8.4
Editorial score

Insurance Features

Choose your deductible, roadside assistance
8.0

Discounts Available

Some discounts or bundling options
6.0

Customer Service

Multiple communication options, multi language support
10.0

Online Experience

User friendly site, online application, learning resources
8.0

Direct Insurer?

Yes, direct insurer
10.0

Pros and Cons

Pros: Direct provides insurance to customers in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Car insurance laws and requirements change from state to state, so there are benefits in working with an insurer that has expertise in a small number of states. Moreover, Direct has more than 400 physical locations across these states, meaning you can get time face-to-face with a local vehicle insurance expert.

Cons: On the flipside, Direct has suffered higher than the median number of complaints about claims rejections, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. 

Types of Auto Insurance

Direct offers these types of car insurance:

Bodily Injury Liability. Covers medical and other costs related to people’s injuries if you’re at fault in a car accident.

Property Damage Liability. Pays for damages your vehicle causes to someone else’s property, such as their vehicle or fence.

Collision. Pays for damages to your vehicle when it collides with another vehicle or object (such as a pole or fence).

Comprehensive. Also known as “other than collision”, this covers damages caused by things life theft and weather events such as floods and storms. 

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist. Protects you if the other driver is at fault but they aren’t insured or don’t have sufficient coverage to pay for all their liabilities. 

Medical Payments. Helps pay for medical, hospital, and funeral expenses for you and your passengers, regardless of who was at fault.

Personal Injury Protection. Provides broader coverage than medical payments. PIP is required in some states and optional in others. It’s available in selected states.

Rental Reimbursement. Covers the cost of a rental car if your own vehicle is in the shop.

Towing. Emergency roadside services including towing. 

Accidental Death Coverage. Pays out $5,000 to your beneficiaries if you die in a car accident. 

In addition, Direct policy holders can purchase these special types of coverage:

Mexican insurance. If you’re traveling south of the border, you can purchase Mexican auto insurance at Direct locations in Texas or Louisiana or selected locations in other states. Direct’s Mexican insurance includes civil liability coverage, medical expenses, legal assistance, comprehensive and collision, total theft protection, and 24-hour roadside assistance. The liability coverage is particularly important because Mexican police can arrest you or prevent you from leaving the country if you are involved in an accident without being insured. 

Emergency protection plans. Helps cover the unforeseen consequences of traveling, including: hospital stay benefit; accidental medical expense reimbursement; accidental death and dismemberment for up to $10,000; ambulance assistance; mechanical first aid; auto rental reimbursement and lost personal effects coverage; and trip planning services and travel discounts.

How to Apply

If you’re a resident of one of the 10 states served by Direct, you can purchase car insurance online, over the phone, or at one of the 400+ locations spread around the southern and south-eastern United States. Applying for and purchasing auto insurance is quick and easy. You’ll need to supply the following information:

Personal details: Includes name, email address, phone number, and residential address.

Vehicle information: Includes year, make, model, mileage, and a few other bits of information such as which safety features are installed.

Driver details: Includes details about yourself and any other policyholders, including information about employment, driving history, and home ownership. 

Insurance details: Includes information about your current insurer (if you have one) and current policy or policies.

If you’re satisfied with your quote, you can go ahead and purchase online or use the reference number given to you to complete your purchase in store or over the phone.

Filing a Claim

Policy holders can file a claim via the channels below. You can get updates on your claims status at any time using your claim number and the name and extension of your claim representative.

Phone: 1-800-403-1077. Hold the line to report a new accident or select option 2 to speak to your claims representative if you’ve already reported an accident.

Fax: 1-800-924-0273. Make sure to include your name, policy number, and claim number on each page.

Mail: Direct Auto Insurance Claims Department. PO Box 1623, Winston Salem, NC 27102

Contact Details

Direct agents can be found over the phone or in one of the 400 locations around the southern United States. 

Phone: 1-877-GO DIRECT (1-877-463-4732) – toll-free number with assistance in English and Spanish.

Physical: Find the store closest to you using this link. Hours can vary slightly between locations, although the standard hours are around Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with additional opening hours Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

[Link: https://local.directgeneral.com/]

Summary

Direct Auto & Life Insurance provides car insurance and other insurance products to motorists across the southern and south-eastern states. Unlike many of its competitors, it maintains a commitment to face-to-face contact with customers, operating more than 400 locations across 10 states. It offers a full suite of compulsory and voluntary auto insurance products and is one of the few major car insurance companies to offer an add-on for your Mexican travels.

Nadav Shemer
Written by
Nadav Shemer
Nadav Shemer specializes in business, tech, and energy, with a background in financial journalism, hi-tech and startups. He enjoys writing about the latest innovations in financial services and products. He writes for BestMoney and enjoys helping readers make sense of the options on the market.‎

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