The insurance industry uses jargon that can leave you at a real disadvantage when settlements are being negotiated. All insurance companies are in business to make profits for themselves, so it can suit them not to say what a claim is really worth. Be careful. If you're an accident victim this is no time to be left in the dark. It is a time to use a good attorney's knowledge of how the insurance business works so you can be sure of gaining everything to which you're entitled.

A complete glossary of insurance terms could more than fill a website of this size, however, here are the terms for the most common types of coverage.

• Collision: Covers damage to a vehicle if it collides with another object (a car, a tree or a lamp post).
  Comprehensive: Covers a vehicle in a non-collision situation (such as theft, vandalism, or storm damage).
  
• Medical Payments: Covers medical expenses incurred by the driver, the passengers and other covered persons within a given time following an accident. (Exactly who will be eligible for how much, and for how long are important variables. A good attorney will make sure nothing advantageous to you gets overlooked by an insurer.)
  
• Underinsured Motorist: Covers the cost of injuries in excess of the liability limits of the at fault driver.
  
• Uninsured Motorist: Covers the cost of injuries if the at fault driver is uninsured.
• Bodily Injury Liability: Pays damages that a driver could be legally liable for if found to have caused someone else's injury or death.
  
• Property Damage Liability: Covers a driver's liability in an accident that damages someone else's property (such as a car a wall or a building).