Accident Terms and Definitions

Subpoena
Document issued by the authority of the court to compel a witness to appear and give testimony or produce documentary evidence in a proceeding. Failure to appear or produce is punishable by contempt of court.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UMC)
Provides coverage for a policyholder involved in a collision with a driver who does not have liability insurance.

Flood Damage Title
States issue flood titles when a vehicle has been in a flood or has received extensive water damage.

Salvage
Property taken over by an insurer to reduce its loss.

Subrogation
The process in which an insurance company, after paying a loss to its insured, recovers the amount of the loss for damages (plus the insured's deductible) from the legally liable party.

Dismantled Title
The vehicle sustained major damage to one or more major component parts and the cost of repairing the vehicle for safe operation exceeds its fair market value.

Collision
Pays for damage to your car caused by a collision with another vehicle or with any other object, regardless who was at fault.

Exclusion
A contractual provision in an insurance policy that denies coverage for certain perils, persons, property, or locations.

Accident
A collision involving an automobile and anything that causes damage to the automobile, including other automobiles, telephone poles, buildings, and trees.

Misdemeanor
Criminal offenses less than felonies; generally those punishable by fine or imprisonment of less than 90 days in a local facility. A gross misdemeanor is a criminal offense for which an adult could be sent to jail for up to one year, pay a fine up to $5,000 or both.