[CBC News] Last January, a shocking accident occurred near Seodaemun Station in Seoul. A bus that had just departed from the stop suddenly accelerated and plunged onto the sidewalk. Driver A stated during the police investigation that the brakes did not work.

This accident has raised a serious question for many drivers: "What if it had been my car?" Whether it is sudden acceleration or a brake defect, until the cause is clearly determined, compensation for damages and legal responsibility largely fall on the driver. In fact, suspected sudden acceleration accidents are often presumed to be driver negligence, leading to numerous cases of prolonged disputes between drivers and insurance companies during the claims process.

In such situations, how comprehensively the auto insurance coverage and riders are structured determines the actual speed of damage recovery. Here are three essential riders that must be checked to prepare for accidents.

■ First: Own Vehicle Damage Coverage (Own Damage Insurance)

The first item to check is whether you are enrolled in own damage insurance. If the other party's fault is unclear or the incident is processed as a single-vehicle accident, you will have to bear the full cost of vehicle repairs if you are not enrolled in own damage insurance.

Recently, an increasing number of consumers are also comparing the 'Market Value Drop Compensation rider,' which compensates for the loss in vehicle market value, in addition to own damage insurance. This is because it allows them to receive partial compensation for the decrease in the used car price caused by the accident.

■ Second: Uninsured Motorist Injury Rider

This is a coverage item that allows you to receive compensation for medical expenses and damages through your own insurance, even if the other vehicle is uninsured or unidentified in a hit-and-run. It is cited as one of the riders where the gap in coverage limits among insurance companies has widened significantly recently, so coverage limits must be carefully compared at the time of enrollment.

■ Third: Own Bodily Injury and Auto Injury Coverage

For accidents that take time to determine the cause, such as sudden acceleration, the importance of coverage that can promptly guarantee compensation for one's own injury treatment increases. It is advantageous to compare the Auto Injury rider, which has a broader coverage scope than Own Bodily Injury coverage.

■ Precautions When Using Online Comparison Services

Using online auto insurance comparison services is convenient because it allows you to check the coverage and premiums of multiple insurance companies on a single screen. However, when comparing, it is practically helpful to look at not only the displayed premiums but also ▲ 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 Seodaemun Station accident, can happen to anyone. The habit of carefully comparing coverage details in advance is ultimately the most certain way to reduce the burden after an accident.

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