Reader’s Question:

My seventeen year old daughter recently had her driver’s license suspended as a result of several tickets she received. The suspension is for sixty days and I am just wondering if we can find auto insurance for her in the state of Montgomery, Alabama?

Alicia

Montgomery, AL

If your 17 year old daughter is already on your auto insurance policy or has an auto insurance of her own, the insurance carrier may permit the current insurance policy to remain in effect through her suspension since it is only for a short period of time. If she does not have car insurance currently or her insurance provider has dropped her due to the suspension with the several tickets on it, then it may be hard to get car insurance in Montgomery, Alabama during her suspension period.

You will need to obtain a car insurance quote here and check some insurance companies that will cover your teen daughter with a suspend license or with higher points.

Since insurance carriers guidelines vary so your teen daughter may need to contact various insurance companies and shop for insurance carriers that will fulfill her needs. If he cannot find an insurance carrier to insure her, due to the license suspension or being a high risk driver, she can try contacting the Alabama Department of Insurance for assistance.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance quotes, teen insurance, Young driver car insurance

Reader’s Question:

My daughter is 16 and has a school permit and drives to school in Omaha, Nebraska, is it required that she have car insurance. We do not have her currently on our insurance policy.

Wendy

Omaha, NE

I know you’re concerned about your daughter driving to school with no insurance. You should first check with your car insurance company to see if your daughter is required to be placed on the policy or not with a school permit. Insurance company guidelines can differ because some insurance carriers will want your daughter added now, while others may allow you to wait until your daughter has a full driver’s license.

Usually your policy terms require you to notify your insurer of any newly licensed household members so advise your insurance agent about your daughter’s licensing status and see when they say that you must add her to the policy. In Omaha, Nebraska, a School Permit (SCP) allows the holder to drive a motor vehicle, moped or motorcycle to and from where he or she attends school by the most direct and accessible route by the nearest highway from his or her place of residence if such person lives a distance of one and half miles or more from such school and either resides outside a city of the metropolitan, primary or first class (5,000 or more people) or attends a school which is outside a city of the metropolitan, primary, or first class (5,000 or more people). A school permit should be used for the purpose of transporting such person or any family member who resides with such person to attend duly scheduled courses of instructions and extracurricular or school related activities at the school, and the holder of the permit may drive under the personal supervision of a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old. To obtain a SCP one must have held a learner’s permit (LPE) for 2 months prior to applying for a SCP and be a minimum age of 14 years and 2 months.

Tags: auto insurance, teen insurance

Reader’s Question:

I’m wondering if my car get stolen will my insurance rates go up in Olathe, KS?

Johnny

Olathe, Kansas

State laws and insurance company rules and guidelines differ so you may need to check with your insurance agent first to find out for sure if your premiums would go up if your car is stolen. Your insurance agent in Olathe, Kansas should be able to explain your provider’s rating system to you. It could be that this one claim will not cause your insurance rates to go up but if you have had a lot of claims made in total against your insurance policy then your claims history could cause an overall rating increase.

Your car insurance rates will not necessarily be raised because you are paid out for a comprehensive claim if your car was stolen. Normally, when you have a comprehensive claim, your insurance carrier recognizes that it is normally due to something that is not your fault, and you had no control over, (for example; theft, vandalism, hail damage, etc.) as a result they will not increase your rates. But as stated above insurance carriers guidelines can differ so find out from your specific insurance company if your rates will rise and if so by how much.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance rate

Reader’s Question:

I was interested in putting full insurance coverage on my car in Gainesville, Florida, does the auto insurance company have to inspect my car? Will I need receipts for anything that I want to add to the auto insurance policy?

Robert

Gainesville, FL

Good question Robert, thanks for asking. Some car insurance companies will want a pre-insurance inspection of a car when physical damage coverage is purchased as part of the insurance policy. Some states require vehicle inspections in certain counties, like Gainesville, Florida for example. Physical damage coverage includes collision and comprehensive, which is what commonly referred to as a “full coverage”.

Normally, car insurance agents are taking note of any type of existing damage when they are inspecting a vehicle. The agent might also look for modifications to the car that would not be covered under the policy rules and guidelines. Receipts are not typically necessary for putting physical damage coverages a car on the insurance policy. However, if you have modified or customized your car they might be helpful to the insurance agent. To make sure that customized items like expensive rims, are insured properly, car insurance companies will normally need to do an endorsement to cover them.

Tags: auto insurance

Reader’s Question:

Let’s say I have a brother that lives 4 hours north from where I currently reside, in Chicago, IL. Is it legal if my brother has my car in his insurance since it is a totally different city?

Jake

Chicago, IL

The brother that wants to insure both vehicles can ask his insurance agent if the car insurance company he is with will allow him to insure his brother’s vehicle that is in a different city. Insurance company’s guidelines differ but normally a car insurance company in Chicago, Illinois would not allow the out of town brother’s car to be placed on the policy since the car is garaged in a different location and the brother is not a household member of the policyholder’s resident.

Typically insurance providers do not insure cars that reside at a different household or for more than one household on one insurance policy. Thus to get a definitive answer the brother wanting to place the brother on his policy would need to ask his car insurance agent if this is possible or call around to see if another insurance provider would allow this type of situation.

Tags: auto insurance

Reader’s Question:

Is there a compulsory insurance law in Anchorage, AK? What happens to my insurance if I get involved in a car accident?

Stephanie

Anchorage, AK

State of Alaska has both Mandatory Insurance and Financial Responsibility laws. The purpose of these laws is to protect the motoring public from uninsured drivers on Anchorage, Alaska’s streets and highways. These laws allow the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to remove financially irresponsible Alaska drivers from the roads.

In accordance with Alaska car insurance law, you must provide a proof of insurance to the DMV if you are involved in a crash which results in bodily injury or death to a person, or property damage in excess of $501, within 15 days.

Regardless of who caused the crash, proof of insurance is required from both drivers involved in the crash. This means even if you did not cause the crash you must provide the proof of insurance. In addition to any report given to the police or your insurance company you’re also required to notify the DMV. The officer investigating the crash will usually give a certificate of insurance form to the drivers. This form is also available at any Division of Motor Vehicles office or on the state web page. In addition, your driver’s license will be suspended for 90 days for a first occurrence and 1 year for a second occurrence if you were uninsured or you fail to provide proof of insurance within 15 days.

Tags: auto insurance

Reader’s Question:

My aunt was injured in a car accident caused by a government vehicle. Can we file against the government employee or the agency that caused the accident? What is the process for car insurance claims against the government in my State? We live in in Fairfield, CT.

Louise

Fairfield, Connecticut

Continuous car insurance coverage on any registered vehicle is mandates by Connecticut law. In the case of your aunt’s accident, you may sue the government agency (the city, town, county, state, public agency or school) that employs that person. For car insurance claims against the state of Connecticut, you must file a claim with the clerk of the Office of the Claims Commissioner. The insurance claim must be in duplicate and contain the name and address of the person suing (if you’re suing on behalf of somebody else, your aunt, for example, their name and address as well), a concise statement of the claim, including the date, time, place and circumstances of the accident; the damages amount requested; and a request to sue the state. For claims against a local government employee, you must contact Fairfield City or which city you want to file your lawsuit to find their procedures and time limits.

In dealing with car accidents involving government vehicle and employees, be aware that there are special notices that must be filed against the government unit responsible for your injury. These notices must be made within a certain time period of 30 days to 180 days and before filing a lawsuit complaint. Each government entity (state, city and county) has its own separate time period and may vary from the state’s Statute of Limitations against private parties. The rules can be somewhat confusing, so check the form you are filling out to find out the time limit for filing your claim. Accident claims involving the government can be complicated and any mistakes in filing your claim could result in losing your ability to recover for your damages and injuries.

Tags: auto insurance claims, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

I live in Orlando, Florida and last November 2007 I bought a car. Last year I was not required to purchase a Personal Injury Protection (PIP). I heard that the policy changed so do I still have to carry PIP?

Michael

Orlando, FL

Yes, under Florida law it mandates every owner of an automobile, required to be registered in Florida, carry PIP to protect themselves in the occurrence of injuries sustained in a car accident.

Last October 1, 2007, Florida’s No-Fault Insurance Law was replaced with the Florida At-Fault Insurance Law. At that time, Personal injury protection (PIP) was no longer required as a prerequisite to registering a vehicle. The Florida Legislature passed a bill to re-enact Florida’s No-Fault Insurance Law to take effect on January 1, 2008. On October 11, 2007,Governor Crist signed the bill into law. The bill also has given the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) with authority to suspend the driving privilege of an individual who does not have property damage liability insurance effective October 11, 2007.

As of January 1, 2008, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage was again required for Orlando, Florida registered vehicles. Personal Injury Protection will pay 80% of all reasonable and necessary medical expenses up to the $10,000.00 policy limit.

Tags: auto insurance

Reader’s Question:

My brother was rear-ended on the interstate in Louisville, Kentucky. Because KY is a no fault state, does this mean the other person is not responsible for paying the damages to his car?

Eric

Louisville, KY

As you know Eric, Kentucky is a “choice no-fault” state. All automobiles registered or operated in Kentucky must be covered with liability insurance and basic no-fault personal injury insurance. As such, a Kentucky motorist can opt to insure their automobile under the tort system or the no fault system. Under this system each driver involved in an accident is responsible for the property damage and/or bodily injury they caused. Also with a Kentucky tort system you have the right to sue the other driver in an accident for the cost of expenses related to injuries brought by the accident.

Under the Kentucky no-fault insurance guidelines, you are required to purchase personal injury protection (PIP) coverage that helps pay the cost of injuries regardless of who caused the accident. If you choose the no fault option, basic Kentucky PIP coverage is $10,000 for medical expenses, loss of income or services, and funeral expenses. When purchasing the basic PIP coverage in Kentucky you forfeit your right to sue the other driver in an accident for the cost of injuries, unless the cost exceeds a certain level set by the state law.

Under either the no-fault or tort system, Kentucky drivers are required to obtain a basic liability coverage (bodily injury and property damage) in the state’s mandated minimum amounts of 25/50/10. Uninsured and underinsured motorist must be presented an insurance coverage by an insurance company but can be waived in writing if one does not wish not to purchase these coverages. No-fault then in Kentucky, as in most no-fault states, only refers to bodily injuries and not property damage. Thus the person that rear-ended your brother on the interstate should pay for the damages to your vehicle. You should be able to make an insurance claim in Louisville, KY against the at-fault party’s property damage liability (PDL) coverages. If your brother has the insurance information either from exchanging information with the other party or police report then he should contact that insurance company to place the claim for the damages.

Tags: auto insurance

Reader’s Question:

What is an umbrella insurance policy?

Scott

Wilmington, DE

An umbrella policy is defined as a liability insurance policy providing excess coverage beyond regular liability policies. People usually purchase umbrella policies to protect themselves against the possibility of a large jury award in a lawsuit. An umbrella policy gives protection in situations not covered by a standard liability policy found in homeowner’s and automobile insurance, like slander and libel. An umbrella policy also links policies which in effect raise the limits on underlying policies in a cost-effective manner.

For example, added liability protection above and beyond the limits is provided by umbrella insurance against the home, watercraft personal insurance policies.

Umbrella insurance is one way of protecting your hard earned assets and the main benefit of this is that it provides coverage pertaining to the ones that are not covered by the ordinary policies you have already. In fact, this type of insurance policy covers the unnatural events that can damage your highly valued assets.

Without any addition pertaining to the cost of the policy, an umbrella policy provides an additional liability and thus the policy holders get highly satisfied whenever there are situations that warrant the claiming of this policy.

Note that the umbrella insurance policy always covers not only you but also your spouse and your family members; and the good thing is that it does not matter where they live. The legal defense fees may also be covered.

Tags: auto insurance