[CBC News] This is an accident that occurred near Sidaemun Station in Seoul last January. A bus that had departed from a stop suddenly accelerated and surged onto the sidewalk. Driver A stated during police interrogation that the brakes did not work.

This accident raises the question: "What if it were my car?" Whether it is sudden acceleration or a brake defect, until the cause is clearly identified, compensation for damages and legal responsibility mostly fall on the driver. In particular, suspected sudden acceleration accidents are often presumed to be driver negligence, leading to numerous cases of prolonged disputes between the driver and the insurance company during the claims process.

In such situations, how comprehensively the coverage scope and rider configuration of an auto insurance policy are structured determines the speed of actual damage recovery. Here are three essential riders recommended by experts.

■ Own Vehicle Damage Coverage (Own Damage Insurance) This is the first item to check. If the other party's fault is unclear or the incident is processed as a single-vehicle accident, without own damage insurance, the vehicle repair costs must be borne entirely by the individual. Recently, an increasing number of consumers are also comparing a 'Market Value Loss Compensation Rider,' which covers losses from a decline in the vehicle's market value, in addition to own damage insurance. This allows partial compensation for the depreciation in the used car's value caused by the accident.

■ Uninsured Motorist Injury Rider This is a coverage option that allows you to receive compensation for medical expenses and damages through your own insurance, even if the other vehicle is uninsured or the driver's identity cannot be confirmed due to a hit-and-run. It is cited as one of the riders where the gap in coverage limits between insurance companies has significantly widened recently.

■ Own Bodily Injury and Auto Injury Coverage For accidents like sudden acceleration, where determining the cause takes time, the importance of coverage that can promptly guarantee medical expenses for one's own injuries increases. It is advantageous to compare an auto injury rider, which has a broader coverage scope than own bodily injury coverage.

■ Precautions When Comparing Using online auto insurance comparison services allows you to check the coverage scope and premiums of multiple insurance companies on a single screen. However, rather than simply looking at the displayed premiums, it is practically helpful to also examine the own damage insurance deductible ratio, rider renewal conditions, and the speed of claims processing in the event of an accident.

Accidents where the cause is not immediately revealed, like the Sidaemun Station incident, can happen to anyone. The habit of carefully comparing coverage details in advance is the most reliable way to reduce the burden after an accident.

[This article was written with the assistance of AI. This article is based on currently available information, and we recommend verifying the facts once again.]