3/29/08

College Kid Has Car

Q: I am adding my son to my auto insurance policy, and he'll be taking one of my cars with him to college. Does this mean that he'll be considered the principal driver on the policy?


Answer:
If your son is borrowing your car to take with him to college, he must be listed as either a principal driver or an occasional driver on your insurance policy. Most insurance companies will consider someone as the principal driver on the policy if he or she:

Is the registered owner of the vehicle,
Drives the vehicle to work or school, or
Drives the vehicle more than anyone else.
Check with your insurance company to see if you should list your son as a principal driver, and if so, how your insurance coverage and premiums will be affected.

Claims Causing Canceled Insurance

Q: I heard that some companies cancel people's insurance if they have just one claim. Is this true?


Answer:
Actually, it's very unlikely that any type of insurance would be canceled after you file a single claim. However, filing a claim could increase your premium on certain types of insurance.

For example, your auto insurance premium will almost certainly increase after an accident, especially if you're at fault. The reason for this is simple: actuarial evidence indicates that people who have had accidents in the past are more likely to have accidents again in the future. This means the insurance company could see another claim from you someday, so there is a logical reason to charge you more for insurance coverage. The big question is how much your premium will increase. This is more difficult to anticipate, because insurance companies can use different formulas to calculate rate increases.

Your premium increase may simply be a percentage of the premium you were paying before the accident, or it may be based on a complex formula that assigns point values to various types of accidents. In most cases, your auto insurance policy will not be canceled unless you have a certain number of at-fault accidents within a given period of time (e.g., two or three in one year).

Homeowners insurance premiums, on the other hand, are far less likely to increase after you file a claim. Most insurance companies do not increase homeowners insurance premiums after a single claim, no matter how large, particularly if the loss is caused by a natural disaster.

However, with a second claim under your homeowners policy, it becomes increasingly likely that your premiums will go up. This is especially true if you could have done something to prevent the loss. If you don't maintain your home properly, if it is somehow unsafe, or if you make multiple claims for similar reasons, you'll likely see higher premium rates.

There is one instance, however, when your homeowners insurance premiums will go up after a single claim. If the claim is for a dog bite, and you do nothing to improve the situation (e.g., fence your yard, etc.), your rates are sure to increase. Your insurer may even refuse to renew your policy in this case.

Broken Windshield

Q: Is a broken windshield covered under my auto policy deductible?


Answer:
Broken windshields and other glass are typically covered under the comprehensive coverage portion of an auto insurance policy. Comprehensive generally provides coverage for physical damage to your vehicle caused not by a collision with an object or another vehicle, but by a variety of other specific perils. This type of coverage is optional in most states and, if purchased, will usually raise your premium and carry deductibles. It may or may not be cost effective, depending on the value of your vehicle.

So, if your windshield is broken but you don't have comprehensive coverage, the cost of replacing it may not be covered by your auto insurance. If you do have comprehensive, the cost probably will be covered, but to what extent depends on the details of your particular policy. Comprehensive coverage is broken down into the different items or perils covered under this section of the policy (e.g., fire, water, theft, etc.). Each is listed separately in the contract and is usually subject to its own deductible, which can often be adjusted up or down. Glass coverage is included as one part of comprehensive, but (unlike the other items covered under comprehensive) typically comes without a deductible. This means that, if your car windshield is damaged or destroyed and needs to be replaced; your auto insurance company will pay the entire bill.

You can usually attach a deductible to your glass coverage if you wish, in which case you would have to contribute a certain amount out of your own funds toward the cost of replacing your windshield. However, while adding a deductible to your glass coverage may be one way to cut your auto insurance costs, it's generally not advisable to do so. For example, if you put a $250 deductible on your glass coverage, you'll end up footing half the cost when your $500 windshield breaks. Whatever amount you save on your premium will probably be more than offset by that out-of-pocket deductible.

Body Shop Satisfaction

Q: After a car accident, I had my car repaired at a body shop my insurance company referred me to. But I'm not happy with the work that was done--is there anything I can do about it?


Answer:
After a car accident, your insurance company may recommend that you go to one of its preferred auto body shops to have the damage repaired. Choosing a preferred shop may expedite the repair process, but as with any auto body shop, the possibility exists that you may not be satisfied with the work that was done or the parts that were used.

Fortunately, there may be something you can do about it. Often the best and quickest solution is to talk to the body shop directly, especially if the work done on your car was relatively minor. Explain what your complaint is and what you would like the repair shop to do about it. A service-oriented facility might be more than willing to try to make things right. Further, in some states, repair shops registered with the state are legally responsible for safe and proper repairs.

But what if the repair shop is uncooperative? First of all, don't sign anything saying that you're satisfied with the work done on your car. Next, it may be time to involve your insurance company. If you have a legitimate gripe, there's a chance your company will step in and straighten it out with the repair shop. You can contact the company's claims department directly or, better yet, go through your insurance agent. Depending on the state, some insurance companies that use preferred shops may stand behind the work and guarantee quality.

If you still aren't getting anywhere, contact your state's insurance division and find out if you have any recourse (e.g., arbitration). As a last resort, you might think about hiring a lawyer if the damage to your vehicle was substantial.

How do Online Car Insurance Quotes Work?

In order to get an online auto insurance quote you must file out a couple pages of information. The online car insurance quotes take about 15 minutes if you have your entire paperwork ready ahead of time. The information that you need to provide is not released to any public source and will not be sold to any agency. The information is 100% confidential and only to be used to estimate the possible insurance quotes.

What You Can Expect
Quotes will ask you questions about your driving record, the year and make or your vehicles, how many vehicles, and contact information. In order for an individual to get an accurate online car insurance quote the information that they provide must be precise, otherwise the quotes will not be accurate. In order to get an online car/auto insurance quote you simply need to log onto a website and click, “Get a free quote.” Most online auto insurance companies have a button, because they realize that most of their clientele is coming for this exact reason, once you find out the rate of the insurance policy look up other and multiple insurance quotes to find out what the best price you can possible get.

Where to Find Car Insurance Quotes
Getting a car insurance quote has gotten so simple over the years. No longer do you need to leave the comfort of your own home, you can sit at your computer and in minutes you will have an auto insurance quote at a reasonable rate. It can save you time and money when companies offer you quotes right over the internet. It is important that if you are in the market for car insurance that you shop around. Since many insurers will offer free quotes, take advantage of that. Being able to compare rates to find the coverage you want a fair price is very important.

What Comes With Auto Insurance?
It is important that as a driver you know what your auto coverage is. Being prepared for anything is important because when you have vehicle it isn’t just you that you need to be cautious of it is other drivers and conditions as well. Being a safe driver can help control risks, but it can not eliminate all the possibilities of dangers on the road. When you are in the market for auto insurance it can be very helpful to have the knowledge that is needed. First you should be aware of what collision coverage you need, typically used for any damage done to the vehicle or another’s. Next it is a must to have bodily injury liability, which covers any medical bills that are occurred to you the driver or any others involved in an accident. Finally there is comprehensive, which is where you are reimbursed for any loss due to thefts or damages caused by something other then a collision. Knowing these basics can be very helpful when you are taking a look at what providers are offering.

Where Can You Find Low Cost Car Insurance Online?

Do you want to learn how to find the low cost car insurance companies that are lurking between the pages? If so, then you have came to the search engine specialist who will teach you exactly how to find the information on low cost car insurance online you are looking for. First off, you need to start with a keyword or a key phrase to find what you are looking for. Probably “cheap car insurance” or “low-cost car insurance” will do. Both of these search inquires should pull up a couple different auto insurance websites that will have quotes on them. The quotes will be a good way to tell if this car insurance provider is in your budget. Of course, this range depends on what you are looking for, but keep in mind that price, the policy, and the reputation of the company are probably the three key ingredients to finding the best insurance policy.

What Come With Low Cost Car Insurance?
Getting the lowest rate for your car insurance is what is important for you, but you should be aware of what you get for the price. If you are paying a low rate then chances are that you are getting the very basic coverage that one can get for a vehicle. Here a few types of the coverage you should expect when you are getting low cost car insurance.

Collision coverage is a feature of insurance that you need to cover any damage that is done to another’s vehicle. Comprehensive coverage helps for situations where you may experience a theft or other damage done to the vehicle other then vehicle to vehicle accident. Property damage liability is designed to cover damage that you inflict on another’s personal property while behind the wheel. Bodily injury liability protects you from medical expenses that are the direct result of an accident that the other suffers. Personal injury protection is designated for injuries that are occurred to you while involved in an accident. Those are the typical types of car insurance that you should expect to have when you are getting coverage for your vehicle. Since auto insurance regulations are set by the state that you live in it is important to know what the minimum requirements are that way you get the very basic coverage if that is what you want.

Why Auto Insurance Online?
Getting affordable auto insurance online can prove to be safe and efficient to your financial needs. Auto insurance polices can be viewed, applied for, and dealt with all in the privacy of your own home. The best way to find cheap auto insurance online is to simple Google auto insurance. When this is done, it will provide you with a number of different auto insurance sites that are over the Internet. These sites will give you a variety of different rates, quotes, and information to help you select the auto insurance plan that is right for you. The best thing about getting an auto quote over the Internet is that it’s free!

What You Need to Know About Filing Your Auto Insurance Claim

What Happens After a Car Accident?
Almost everyone has to go through the deal of being in a car accident at some point in their driving careers. Whether it’s a minor or major accident, you could very well have to deal with filing an auto insurance claim. I know from personal experience that it can be a difficult process, especially after you’ve already dealt with the stress of being in a car accident. Fortunately, I can provide you with a little insight into the situation. Check out some of these tips in dealing with the aftermath of a car accident.

What You Should Know About Filing Your Auto Insurance Claim


Hopefully before you ever get into an auto accident you’re very familiar with insurance policy. If you’re not, read it right now! Make sure you understand everything and talk to an agent if you don’t.
After you’ve been in an accident, the first thing to do is make sure everyone involved is OK. If anyone is injured, call an ambulance immediately. Remember that you may not even notice some injuries at first, things like neck pain usually pop up later.
Possibly the most important factor in filing your insurance claim is making sure you have the personal information of the other parties involved in the accident. You need information such as their names, license plates, insurance providers, phone numbers, etc and should provide them with the same information about yourself.
In the case of most major accidents, a bystander or witness will volunteer to talk the police and explain what happened from an impartial view. You’ll want to make sure you get their contact information should your insurance company wish to speak to them.
Typically a police officer will come to the scene of the accident to file a police report on the accident. They are not there to determine who was at fault in the accident, but their report may be used by the insurance companies.
Finally, you should notify your insurance company of the accident. From here the insurance companies will decide who will be responsible for any injuries or vehicle repairs.