I had an accident two weeks ago in Sacramento, California where I live, but I found out that my insurance will only cover the hospital bill of the driver I got into an accident with. My insurance said that my coverage will only be limited to personal injuries and not property damages. Was I swindled by my insurance agent?

Joseph,

Sacramento, CA

Well, Joseph, it seems you are a classic insurance buyer where you sign first and then ask questions later, when you’ve already gotten into an accident. Thinking you have an insurance coverage but not really understanding what and how much your insurance will cover is just the same as wearing a body armor made of cardboard in the interior. You’re giving yourself a false sense of security this way, if I may add. Joseph, I think what happened is, you bought what is called the Personal Injury Protection auto insurance or better known as PIP. The PIP is mandatory in 46 states and their cities including Sacramento, California, so, we might call them your basic insurance. Well, at least your PIP covered injuries inflicted. When accidents really are that bad, injuries to persons are much expensive rather than those damages to properties. Imagine, you or the other driver were put into comatose or needing surgery and will be confined to around 3 months in a hospital, can you imagine the bill that would amount to? If you’re really on a tight budget, personal injury protection auto insurance wouldn’t be that bad. As we say, as long as I breathe there is hope, at least being alive or having the means to stay alive is more than anything we can ask for. Damages to property won’t really be that a big thing when you know you just cheated death. So, drive safely.

Hey there everyone, I just wanted to get some feedback from people who have gotten great rates on auto insurance and who have a good driving record like I do. Any recos?

Dan

Hey Dan,

I have gotten a rate of $588 annually for liability only auto insurance on my car. I am 50 and have a clean record. I got my policy with help from this site and The General. Amica also has great rates so I am told.

I am looking for better auto insurance for my new car than my previous insurance coverage. I had Sta@@ Far@ insurance for years, but they seem to slowly but surely raise their rates over the years.  I got a new car and they have once again raised my rate, so I am ready to shop around.

Stanley,

Boston MA

Stanley,

Good for you!  Checking your auto insurance rates every 3 years is a great idea.  This is a pretty common tactic for many agents, they slowly raise your premiums but the increase is so low that they know you will just put up with it. But over the years, so incremental increases really add up to a lot.  Checking around will almost always result in lower rates….at least until year 3 until the new company starts to jack up your rate ever so slowly.

The zip code form above is for Comparison Market, they are a leader in comparison insurance shopping. They will compare 12 companies for you….instantly, and for free…and there is no obligation to do anything.  Once you see the results, which you will online, you can select each carrier and learn more about their offer and the coverage they are offering you and of course the price.

Honestly, this is the fastest and easiest way to shop around for car insurance.  Try it now…and post your comments after you get the rate quote. We want your feedback!

I was given speeding tickets in Wyoming last year and in Montana last month. Will these violations appear in my Washington driving record? Is this going to affect my auto insurance rate?

Louie

East Seattle, WA

Like Washington State, Wyoming and Montana are also members of the Driver License Compact (DLC). Therefore, whatever violation you commit in those states will be relayed to the Washington Department of Licensing (WA DOL) Office and would eventually appear in your Washington driver’s record. Under 46.21.010 of the Washington Revised Code, it is stated that the licensing authority of DLC shall report all convictions and violations made in another DLC member state to the licensee’s home state. This report shall state clearly the violation, the action/s taken, and the plea for guilty or not guilty.

Since all your traffic violations in your home state and in other DLC member states are recorded in your MVR, then your automotive insurance policy carrier will definitely see them once they decide to pull your record. Typically, automotive insurance companies base their policy rate computations on different factors. However, it is common practice to use the driver’s record as one of the bases, too. This rating procedure is acknowledged, though not mandated, by the state’s laws. Therefore, with your MVR in their hands, it is possible that your automotive insurance rates will go up once your driving history has been factored in.

If you need to find out if the speeding tickets you got from Wyoming and Montana would affect your policy rates, ask your automotive insurance agent for their rating system.

I heard from my friend that here in Arizona no matter what type of auto insurance coverage I have, if my windshield is broken, it would be replaced by my insurer. The reason is because auto insurance companies are required to do that. Is this true?

Tiffany

North Pinal, AZ

The state of Arizona has a financial responsibility law. This is created to make sure that in an event of a vehicular accident, the person/s involved has/have sufficient money to pay for the damage/s. The required auto insurance coverages are bodily injury coverage and property damage coverage.

Going back to your question, damage on the windshield would fall under full class coverage or comprehensive coverage. Both auto insurance policies are optional in the state of Arizona. Hence, with this, auto insurance companies are NOT required to cover for windshield damage, regardless whether you have those coverages or not. Auto insurance company can only pay for those damages if a policyholder has full class coverage or comprehensive coverage.

For more information about auto insurance coverage, ask your auto insurance agent in Arizona. If you are looking for auto insurance quotes, feel free to use the websites.

I’m planning on purchasing a new car here in Oklahoma, but am a bit tight on the budget. Do I really need to get auto insurance or can I choose to just get insurance some other time?

Marge

Norman, OK

All car owners in Oklahoma are legally required to also purchase auto insurance when they buy new cars. Proof of auto insurance is, in fact, the very first thing they will look for when you register your newly purchased car with DMV.

The state’s mandatory auto insurance policy ensures that damages arising from vehicular accidents are adequately covered. Such damages may only be minimal in some instances but in most cases, the costs arising from vehicular accidents are quite heavy.

Your personal liability for damages arising from accidents attaches when it is determined that your negligence caused the accident. In the absence of adequate insurance coverage, you may find yourself emptying your bank account especially when the damage is extensive. If you do not have sufficient funds to cover the damage, you may find yourself in an even tighter situation wherein the other person may file damages against you in court, thereby leading to additional litigation costs on top of the actual damage incurred. If you’re worried about insurance costs, though, there are several affordable insurance options that you can look into that may fit your tight budget. Most insurance companies offer comparisons and quotes for auto insurance via the web and you can even buy budget car insurance online.

My friend is asking me to loan my car to her because her car is in the repair shop. What I would like to know is if she’s involved in a car accident, whose auto insurance coverage would pay for the damage? Would it be mine or hers? We are both from St. Paul, Minnesota.

Tatiana

St. Paul, MN

With your question, I am assuming that your friend has her own auto insurance policy. If that is the case, in an event that she is involved in a car accident using your own vehicle it her own car insurance policy that would cover for her injuries. However, the case is different though if she doesn’t have car insurance policy. If that is the scenario then, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce the “basic economic loss benefits” will be covered by your car insurance company.

As to the damage incurred on the vehicle, it will be paid by your own auto insurance company. This is depending though if you have collision and comprehensive policies. For other cases, it might also be covered by the car insurance policy of the other vehicle.

For more information, do check the information on your auto insurance policy. Also you could ask your car insurance agent in St. Paul, Minnesota.

I am a 16-year old driver turning 17. My dad is planning to buy me a new car as a Christmas gift. I heard that car is one of the factors in getting lower auto insurance premium. What are the cars that are cheap to insure in Santa Ana, California? I just wanna make sure that my dad’s car insurance rate would be affordable that’s why it’s ok for me if he’s gonna buy me an inexpensive car.

Dante

Santa Ana, CA

That’s nice to hear Dante.

It’s true that the more expensive your car is the more expensive the auto insurance premium would be. To answer your question, according to vehicle retailers, the following are considered to be inexpensive to insure for the first 5 years of ownership:

• Chrysler PT Cruiser 4dr Wagon
• GMC Safari SLE AWD 3dr Minivan
• Dodge Caravan SE 4dr Minivan
• Saturn ION 1 4dr Sedan
• Pontiac Sunfire 2dr Coupe
• Jeep Liberty Sport 4WD 4dr SUV
• Saturn L300 1 4dr Sedan
• Volvo S40 4dr Sedan
• Saab 38600 Linear 2.3t 4dr SportWagon
• Buick Century Special Edition 4dr Sedan

Remember that aside from the car you are driving, there are still several factors that affect auto insurance rate in Santa Ana, California. For more information about factors that cause auto insurance premium to go up or down, don’t forget to ask your car insurance agent. Happy car shopping!

For some unseen event, I was involved in a car accident last week. It was my first ever car accident in my entire life. What’s even worse is that it was a hit and run. It was totally not my fault. I have comprehensive coverage on that vehicle. However, I don’t have collision. Will my GAP coverage be able to pay for the damage on my vehicle? I am from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Val

Sioux Falls, SD

This is really a very unfortunate event in your life and I’m really sorry to hear what had happened to you.

I am assuming that the reason why you’re asking that is because your primary auto insurance did not cover for the damages incurred on your vehicle. If that is the case with you, then you GAP insurance would not be able to pay for the damages also.

For a GAP auto insurance to cover you, your primary auto insurance company should pay for the actual cash value (ACV) of your car first. However, since you’ve already mentioned you don’t have collision coverage then, it’s only expected that you insurer would not pay for your claims. Because, this kind of accident falls under the collision coverage.

For more information about auto insurance claims, feel free to ask your auto insurance agent in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Is it true that getting auto insurance for a 55-year-old person is more expensive as compared if you are only around 35 years old? I heard this from a friend. What does age has to do with auto insurance rate? Can you explain this?

Dave

Manchester, NH

Every auto insurance company differs from each other. They have their own guidelines in setting auto insurance rate for a particular person.

Some car insurance companies do consider a person who is 55 years old as a safe age. Meaning a person from that age group still poses a lower risk to be insured. Thus, it is still inexpensive to insure a person from that age range. However, some auto insurance companies believe that a person who is 55 years old or above poses higher risk. That is because some auto insurance companies believe that a person’s ability to drive safely decreases as a person ages.

I would suggest asking your auto insurance agent about how age affects a person’s auto insurance rate in Manchester, New Hampshire. Also, bear in mind that auto insurance rate is not based in age alone. There are a lot of factors that insurers consider and one of them is driving record. I would suggest keeping a clean driving record at all times is one sure way of saving on your car insurance premium.