I remember my first trip to Mexico. It was a very fun time, and the vacation of a lifetime. There are a few things that you need to be aware of before you travel to Mexico. Some legalities are more important than others, but one of the most important things to remember is to purchase Mexican car insurance before you cross the border.

I wanted to tell a story about a guy that thought that he was smarter than the insurance company, we’ll call him Bob. Bob thought that he didn’t have enough money to pay for insurance on his band new Mazda Pickup. He let his policy lapse for about thirty days, and was then involved in an accident. The accident was not something that he could have avoided. He then ran to my office and paid for his insurance without telling me about the accident. I reinstated the policy and two days later he filed a claim.

Of course the claim was denied for a multiplicity of reasons. Bob didn’t know that all insurance companies pay close attention to not only the date of the accident, but also the time of the accident, and they also pay close attention to the date and time of any and all payments that are received. These are only some of the things that they use to avoid paying fraudulent claims. Bob ended up losing more than twenty thousand US dollars.

Most of you are wondering what this has do with Mexican car insurance, and the answer to that question is that Bob didn’t understand any of the insurance procedures and the things that insurance companies do to avoid paying for fraudulent claims. When traveling to Mexico most people don’t understand what they need. Don’t be like Bob. You need to educate yourself before you travel.

Don’t believe that just because your insurance agent told you that your insurance policy provides coverage inside of Mexico that it is enough. Many major carriers do provide limit coverage for Mexico, but valid proof of financial responsibility can only be provided by a Mexican insurer. Failure to provide valid proof of financial responsibility is a felony in Mexico. If you have an accident in Mexico and you don’t have Mexican car insurance you will almost certainly go to jail. That is true even if your United States policy covers the accident. Don’t risk it; buy your insurance from a Mexican insurance carrier.

You should not consider Legal Aid or Travel Assistance optional coverage. If you don’t have both of these coverages you will be paying for legal assistance out of your own pocket until liability is determined. These are inexpensive options and well worth the extra expense. Don’t forget to check that box next to Legal Aid and Travel Assistance.

When looking at the liability limit you should buy a combined single limit of no less than one hundred thousand dollars. Pain and suffering and emotional distress claims are not common in Mexico. The use of the combined single limit provides more coverage for property damage. Familiarize yourself with the variable deductible that is very common with a Mexican tourist policy. A two to five percent deductible as a percentage of the value of the vehicle is quite common.

Make this the vacation of a lifetime. Before you go make sure that you familiarize yourself with Mexican statue and customs. Before you travel buy Mexican car insurance, don’t consider it optional because it is not.

Travel to Mexico and be certain that you purchase Mexican car insurance. The best time to buy it is now, and the best place to do all of your shopping of all of your car insurance for Mexico needs is right here.