If you own and drive a vehicle in the United States, you must have car insurance coverage by law. Having insurance on your car protects you financially in the event of an accident with liability insurance that pays for damage to other vehicles and property if you are found at fault.

If you purchase full coverage insurance, it will also pay for damage to your car that could be caused by an accident or other factors such as theft, storms, or vandalism. The problem with buying insurance is that you never know how well it will work for you until you need it, so it is important to get coverage from a reputable insurance company, like Nationwide. You can use a tool like Jerry to easily find the right coverage for your needs.

When shopping for car insurance, one of the first things people look at is the price. How much is this insurance going to cost?

While price is obviously important there are a few other factors you should be taking into account. Customer service, reliability, and the claims process are all important factors to consider besides price.

One of the most important factors is how the claims handling process will affect your peace of mind if you have an accident. Having to file a claim on your car insurance is a stressful situation.

It always comes immediately after your car has been damaged. Whether that damage results from an accident or something else, you are now in the position of depending on the insurance company to follow through with the promises you understood when you signed up with them.

Nationwide car insurance received 4 out of 5 ratings in a recent Consumer Reports car insurance review for their claims handling process. While Nationwide's premium costs lowered their overall Consumer Reports rating, a smooth claims process is something consumers demand.

In addition to the Consumer Reports review, U.S. News also reviewed Nationwide car insurance. The U.S. News review considered factors such as customer satisfaction, both before and after filing a claim. Nationwide earned a 3.67 rating out of a possible 5 in the U.S. News review for seventh place among U.S. auto insurers.

The company that is now Nationwide began in 1925 as the Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance company. Nationwide's roots as a company providing affordable car insurance to American farmers are still evident with a dedication to customer service and an equitable claims process.

U.S. News used actual customer input to rank Nationwide second for claims handling and third for customer service among insurance companies. USAA is the top-ranked company in these categories, but its customers must have some degree of U.S. military affiliation.

Some of the most favorable statistics for Nationwide are those from customers that have filed a claim with them. In the U.S. News survey, 75% of responses gave 4 or 5 out of 5 ratings for overall satisfaction with Nationwide before filing a claim. Of those that have already filed a claim, 89% gave 4 or 5 ratings, and only 4% gave a 1 rating.

The trend holds for contacting customer service as well. Seventy percent of non-claim-filers rated contacting customer service with a 4 or 5, while 89% of claim-filers gave similar top-tier ratings.

Of those that filed claims, 60% were fully satisfied with Nationwide's status updates following their claims, and 72% were 5 out of 5 satisfied with how their claim was resolved.

It’s clear that when it comes to smooth claims and great customer service, Nationwide ranks among the best. Luckily, Jerry makes it easy to compare rates from Nationwide and many other top car insurance companies to make sure you’re getting the most affordable car insurance possible.