If got convicted of DUI and I would like to know if my insurance carrier in Palm Beach, FL will just cancel my car insurance policy or does it has to go through some sort of procedures?  Do I need a specific auto insurance specialist?

Josh

Palm Beach, FL

Insurance carrier’s guidelines vary however a conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) could result for an insurance provider terminating your automobile insurance policy. Usually your insurance carrier may cancel your insurance mid-term or cancel the car insurance policy at the end of the term due to your conviction for DUI.

If your insurance policy is terminated in this manner in Florida, your insurance carrier must send you notification stating why your car insurance policy have been canceled and then you will have to find another insurance carrier while now having a cancellation on your auto insurance claims history. Most states do not allow insurance carriers to just drop you in the middle of the car insurance policy term, even for a DUI. If you want to get more information about your state guidelines with regards to this, verify with your state’s insurance regulatory body.

How can I get cheap car insurance? I don’t have a bunch of money and my car is not worth a bunch

Malen

Baltimore, MD

You can head right away to the insurance shop and save time-but you will be wasting a lot of money. Take time to know more about yourself and what it is in you that you could take advantage of to save on your car insurance rate.

You probably heard how high your neighbor paid for his teenage son’s insurance. Teens are statistically found to engage more in accidents so they are charged higher. The rates are even greater if they are male. The only time they can get lower rates is when they reach 25. If you are under this age, it is better to enroll in an advance driving course to save a few dollars. You can also avail discounts if you perform good in school. If you fall between 50 to 65 age brackets, you have the lowest rate in relation to your age. But don’t expect to have low rates if you are a 50-year old doctor.

Medical doctors get paid big time, but they also have heavy premiums-second highest, just a little under students. So if you are a farmer or firefighter, bring validations of your employment because your job has the lowest rate. Pilots, politicians, and homemakers have the least accident rates. Hence, they have the lowest rates in relation to their job. Soldiers, active or retired, are also rewarded for serving the country and they are expected to get at least 2 to 15% off their insurance rates.

You can get more savings if you pick the same company that insures your house or other properties. You may also insure your motorcycle in the same company.

While you have read that it is important to shop around to get the best quotes, it is even more important to continue shopping around. It does not mean that you have to settle once you have chosen your carrier. You must do a regular comparison of quotes, e.g. every 4-6 months. The dollars you save will surely be worth your time.

In the state of Minnesota, what will happen if your auto insurance policy lapses?

Rick

Rochester, Minnesota

The Minnesota State Statues Section 65B.48 states that every owner of a vehicle registered or garaged in the state must maintain a guarantee of insurance against loss or damages resulting from the operation of the vehicle. This auto insurance must show liability over injury, property or vehicle damage. Therefore, if your vehicle does not have insurance for a specific period of time, this would mean that you are already violating a state law, and you may face sanctions because of this.

There is a No-Fault insurance law in MN that states that maintaining an uninsured vehicle within the premises of the state (whether being operated or just garaged) is considered a crime. Since this violation is considered a crime, the state may sanction a fine, imprisonment, suspension of driver’s license, or all three of this at the same time, to the accused.

In addition to this, Section 169.791 states that every driver should be able to produce a proof of auto insurance at the time that it is needed by the court or a law enforcer. Inability to show proof of auto insurance may lead to accusation of misdemeanor and if found guilty, payment of a fine, imprisonment, or driving license suspension may be given as penalty.

I am shopping for a used car in Tulsa Oklahoma, and have learned from a co-worker that it is more costly to insure a red car than other colors, is this correct?

Melanie

Tulsa, OK

No Melanie, the color of the car is not generally one of the factors that are being considered by a car insurance company in Tulsa, OK to use as a rating factor. The type of car, such as sports, sedan, minivan, etc is taken into account though and can influence or affect your insurance rates. It is a common misconception that certain colored vehicles, such as red and silver, costs more to insure but that is not so.

The myth is out there that a silver or red car costs more to insure but in all actuality car insurance companies do not consider the color, but they do look at the type of car. If it is a red sports vehicle it will likely cost more than a green family vehicle to insure but because of the powerful engine and accidents statistics relating to sports cars compare to a 4-door family sedan, and not the color.

Some other factors that insurers consider includes your age, the kind of vehicle you drive, your claims history, in some states your credit history and your driving record.

I want to know how soon after a car is ‘totaled’ do I have to wait to cancel the insurance policy in Roanoke, Virginia? Should I have to wait for all payments (auto value and medical) to be made before I cancel? And am I entitled to a refund for the unused portion of the policy period?

Carmen

Roanoke, VA

If your vehicle gets ‘totaled’ in a car accident, and it is the only car on the policy, you do not have to wait to cancel your policy. If you choose to cancel the policy, because you are not getting another car to replace it on your policy, you will want to have a cancellation date for the day after the accident.

Your car insurance company will request proof that your vehicle was indeed ‘totaled’ in an accident and the date the accident took place if the other party’s car insurance company is going to pay you for the car accident, to backdate your cancellation date to the day after your accident. Most insurance companies in Roanoke, VA impose a ten percent surcharge to your return premium when you cancel a policy, this is somewhat called a ‘short rate’ cancellation. I do not know if that surcharge will apply in this type of situation. You will need to speak to your insurance company or otherwise, you will be refunded any money that is rightfully yours.

Regarding car insurance in Portland Maine, does it matter if the car I will purchase is new one or a used car?

Malcolm

Portland, ME

In general, a used vehicle will cost less to insure since its worth is normally less than a brand new car. Also parts and repair costs tends to be lower for a used car in comparison to a new car and thus if the car must be repaired after an accident the expense should be less for the insurer to fix the used car.

If the new car though is a mid-size family sedan it may cost less than let’s say a used Porsche to insure. So it will still depend on the type of vehicle as well as the age of it on how insurance company will rate your vehicle. Collision-damage costs are also one of the main factors considered in differentiating the cost of insuring one type of car over another.

To a lesser extent, you also want to look at how attractive the car is to thieves, whether it is new or used, if a car is popular to thieves and often stolen it may be higher to insure. If you are searching for a car to buy in Portland, ME and are trying to decide between a new or used car, you can get an automobile insurance quote online if you have internet access, on each vehicle to see what the price difference would be for each to be insured.
One of the best ways to lower your annual premiums is to have a higher deductible amount.. Like a $1,000, is what I carry personally.

Now, if you are a claim free and safe driver like I am, you could be saving a ton of money each year on your premiums.  People fail to realize that the deductible amount is only paid when they file a claim and their insurance company pays that claim.

How do I compute what my car is worth in Mobile, Alabama? I want to know in order to determine how much collision & comprehensive coverage I should get.

Peter

Mobile, AL

Determining your car’s worth is somewhat like an insurance company calculating a vehicle’s actual cash value (ACV) after a total loss. To know the value of your vehicle you need to determine what amount you could get if you were to trade in or sell your vehicle at this point in time.

I suggest you can use valuation tools such as NADA, Edmunds or Kelley Blue Book. These guides and tools will give you trade in values, retail values and private party values typically. To get the most accurate idea of what your car is worth put in what options your car has, such as the mileage and basic condition.

Aside from these valuation guides and tools you can look at how much a vehicle in your condition and mileage is selling for in the local car market in Mobile. Internet sites such as Autotrader might help you in this kind of issue. Once you have determined the value of your car you have the personal decision if you want to carry comprehensive and collision coverage on your car.

What if I got into a car accident in Tucson, Arizona and someone sues me, what if I think the car accident is my fault, should I say so?

Bryan

Tucson, AZ

The Arizona Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) wants to make sure that everyone on its roads is protected and safe. For that same reason, it requires that all vehicles, including motorcycles, mopeds, and golf carts, be covered with liability insurance from a company that is authorized to provide the service in Tucson, Arizona.

If you get sued, contact your insurance agent and your lawyer right away. Normally, your car insurance company will assign a lawyer to handle your case. But, if you are sued for more money than the coverage of your policy, you may need your own attorney too. In addition, car insurance company lawyers do not handle traffic citations or criminal cases, such as hit and run charges. If you have been charged with a crime and cannot afford a lawyer, call your county’s Public Defender. You may qualify for free assistance, depending on your income.

If you have been involved in a car accident, do not volunteer any information about whose fault the accident was. You may think you are at fault and then later find out that the other driver is as much or more to blame than you are. Before taking and admitting your fault, you should first talk to your car insurance agent, your lawyer or both before taking the blame. If you confess anything to the police or the other driver it can be used against you in the court. Do not agree to pay for car damages or sign any paper except a traffic ticket until you check with your car insurance company or your lawyer.

I got into a car accident in Davenport, IA where an insured motorist ran a red light and totaled my car. I did not have car insurance at the time which I got ticketed for since it is an Iowa law, but I was just switching policies. Will this make a difference in the at fault party’s insurance paying for my medical bills and my car damages?

Judith

Davenport, IA

The state of Iowa does not have a compulsory insurance law but does require motorist to be financially responsible for car accident damage or injury. This means that Davenport, Iowa motorists are not required to carry Iowa car insurance, but if they do not they will need to provide another form of financial responsibility such as a bond. According to Iowa law, motorists that choose to provide proof of financial responsibility with Iowa car insurance must be covered for bodily injury and property damage liability. The minimum amount of these coverage’s allowed is 20/40/15. This represents that you must carry $20,000 for bodily injury per person, $40,000 for bodily injury per accident and $15,000 for property damage per accident.

The Iowa Financial and Safety Responsibility Act law protects Iowa drivers by suspending the driving and registration privileges of any individual who has not been able to provide financial responsibility following an accident. It also makes sure that any individual who had his/her driving privileges suspended or revoked because of certain convictions, an unsatisfied judgment, or a violation of implied consent laws, will be able to financially compensate others for future damages or injuries that the driver may cause.

Even though you may be facing hefty penalties for being without insurance at the time of the accident, since you were not at fault, normally you would be able to make a claim with the at-fault party’s liability policy for your injuries and the car’s damages. I suggest you check with their insurer on how you would go about making your insurance claim.

I heard that if you are in a parking lot accident  each person is responsible for their own vehicle repairs, is that true?

Johann

Shreveport, LA

It depends on the details of the accident and if there is a clear cut driver at fault or not. As with most of parking lot accidents it will be up to state negligence laws and an investigation from the insurance companies involved in determining whose fault was the accident. If the insurance companies involved found that each party has 50 percent to blame for the accident, then it may be that each party will end up taking car of their own damages.

Louisiana is known as a comparative negligence state which means a driver can be anywhere within zero to 100 percent at fault in an accident. The Department of Insurance for Louisiana site states that procedures for parking lot accidents may differ somewhat from place to place, but generally speaking, the law enforcement agency with authority in the area where the parking lot is located will respond when you have an accident, even if it is on private property.

A parking lot in Shreveport, Louisiana, as in any place else you operate your automobile, all the usual rules regarding insurance do apply, and most of them are just good common sense. If a driver is backing out a space in a private lot and collides with another car that has the right of way, the first driver is at fault.

However, if both you and the other driver are backing out of parking spaces or cutting across an empty parking space when you collide, both may be considered at fault. Typically, you must be at least 50 percent at fault for your liability to pay the costs. This means that in many parking lot incidents, neither person’s policy will pay for damage to the other vehicle because the drivers share the liability.