Car Accidents and Lawsuits In Arizona – Is It My Fault
Reader’s Question:
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.
Penalty For Driving Without Auto Insurance In Connecticut
Reader’s Question:
My friend got involved in a accident and it was not his fault and she had no insurance in Manchester, Connecticut. What will be her penalties?
Miranda
Manchester, CT
The penalties for being caught operating without insurance in Manchester, Connecticut include a fine of at least $110 and impound of the car. If your friend was at fault in the accident he would be held personally liable for the injuries and damages she caused to the others. Since she were not at fault she may be able to put her claim through the at-fault party’s insurance provider for her vehicle’s damages.
Keep in mind that CT law requires that all registered cars have liability insurance maintained at all times. When you renew or register a car registration, you must certify insurance coverage. Your signature attests that minimum car liability insurance will be maintained throughout the registration period and the automobile will not be driven without insurance.
Do You Really Need Uninsured Auto Insurance Coverage
Reader question:
What happens if I get crashed into by somebody who doesn’t have auto insurance coverage? For the record, I do carry uninsured motorist coverage. Is my car insurance going to give me my damages, and then chase after the uninsured driver to get from him what they paid out to me?
Lynn
That’s a good question, Lynn.
The first question that you should ask in this situation is what the policy of your company and state is. Some companies would do this, others would not, and certain states have laws concerning lawsuits against uninsured drivers. However, I would say that it is very likely that if this happens, then your insurance company would subrogate (go after with a lawsuit, as you might say) the insured driver.
First of all, you say you have uninsured motorist coverage. This will take care of all of the damages that a motorist’s liability insurance would normally pay for. While your car insurance company is able to subrogate the other driver, you are also allowed to go after him or her in order to get compensation for any emotional or other long lasting struggles that yo have faced.
When in doubt as to your options, consult with an attorney. If you intend to file lawsuit against the uninsured motorist that your auto insurance coverage took care of, then you will need to have legal consultation.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
Cheap Liability Car Insurance Coverage In Florida
Reader question:
Do I need to get uninsured motorist Florida car insurance coverage if I live in Tampa? I just need cheap liability coverage.
Charlie
Glad you asked, Charlie.
Uninsured motorist protection is not a required part of Florida car insurance coverage law, so really it all depends on your options and your priorities. The first thing that you need to consider, before you take in to mind any extenuating factors, is that no matter where you are, no fault state or no, there will be people driving without car insurance. Depending on what state you are in, it might not even be necessary to get extra coverage because of this, but this is still something that you should keep in mind.
First of all, in Florida they only offer one kind of uninsured motorist coverage, and that is for bodily injury. This can be a good idea to carry if you don’t have anything else that would cover the bodily injury of a victim of an accident caused by you if that victim did not carry car insurance coverage. However, it also provides protection for yourself in this area, and that is where it begins to become redundant. In Florida, you are already required to carry personal injury protection coverage, and then most people have health insurance on top of that. It is very unlikely that your health insurance coverage and your personal injury protection would run out after one accident, making it to where you need even more coverage.
One thing that you might consider when thinking about getting uninsured motorist coverage is the possibility of getting a pain and suffering benefit. This might not be possible if you do not have this type of car insurance coverage.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
I Just Want Liability Only Car Insurance – How Much Is It?
Reader question:
Right now I’m purchasing a car through a finance company. At what point am I able to get rid of the comprehensive and collision car insurance coverage and take it down to the minimum personal injury and property damage liability?
Isabel
That’s a good question, Isabel.
It really depends on what it says in your vehicles contract. For most vehicles, and probably all vehicles, which are purchased with the add of a financing institution such as the car dealer ship or a bank, extra coverage for comprehensive and collision, and sometimes gap coverage, is required until you have finished paying of your loan from the financial institution and they no longer have the risk of you ending your payments with them when the car has not been entirely bought. There are some dealer ships and banks that are more strict about this than others, but for the most part the best idea is for you to understand what your contract says and, if you have any questions, for you to just call up your dealer ship or where you got the loan from and ask what the policy is in regards to dropping your car insurance coverage for your new vehicle.
For the most part, though, in order for you to get rid of your extra required coverage on your vehicle, what you must first have is the pink slip noting that you have paid your new vehicle off completely, and a title in your hand allowing that you are the sole owner (unless you have a co signer, of course) of the vehicle in question. If you don’t have this, then you are in essentially a joint agreement between yourself and the financial institution that financed your purchase of the car. What’s yours is theirs and what’s theirs is theirs. If you decide to drop youtr coverage before the time comes up, they could either be surprisingly nice, or they could assert their ownership and repossess this car. Most financial institutions will try to get you to get insurance on your own first, because it is a lot more beneficial to them if you keep making payments on your car than it is if they have to sell it for a very depreciated price, so you probably wouldn’t have it repossessed right away.
Consider that it is not only in your vehicle insurance company’s interest, or in the financial institution financing your car’s interest that you have insurance on your new vehicle, but also in yours. It protects your health, your vehicles, and most importantly, your finances and credit report. While it’s good to have liability for the case of you causing an accident, the same important must be put on the other cove rages, because you can be in just as big a problem for having no insurance on a vehicle that you still haven’t paid off.
If you really are having a hard time trying to pay your car insurance coverage premium, then you should try alternative ways of making your bill smaller. You can try raising your deductible and asking for discounts, as well as getting instant online car insurance quotes from different companies.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
What Are The Different Types Of Car Insurance Coverage And Which Should I Have?
This car insurance commercial that I found on YouTube really cracks me up. It sort of embodies the confusion that most people feel when they are trying to hash out their car insurance policy with their company, and everything seems both repetitive and lost on them every time. I’m going to try to help make this feeling a little better by giving you a short guide to different types of car insurance coverage that you might need when you go to get your policy.
- Comprehensive.
Comprehensive coverage is often required if you are financing a vehicle, but is to required by law in any state. This covers any damage or loss of vehicle in the event of a natural disaster, such as a flood or fire, or in the case of theft or vandalism. These are basically accidents that do not involve driving.
- Collision.
This is another type of coverage that might be required by your financer. Collision covers the damages or total loss of your vehicle of you get into a car accident with somebody else and you are the at fault driver.
- Gap insurance.
Third in the financer trilogy, gap insurance picks up where all of your other coverages leave off. In order to get this type of coverage, you have to have the max limits on all of your other coverage. This could be a lot of help if you total a car that you’re still paying on, because the value is often less than what you still owe.
- Liability.
This is the basic car insurance coverage that is required by most states. Liability encompasses three types of coverage, for injury or death to one or more persons, and for property damage. It covers the other driver in the case of an accident in which you are at fault.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
When a driver causes an accident and does not have enough insurance, or any at all, to cover your damages, this type of car insurance coverage kicks in.
- Personal injury protection.
This is very popular in no fault states, and where it is not required might not be necessary if you have health and life insurance. It kicks in before the other driver’s liability does, and covers you if you are at fault. It handles medical expenses, wage loss, and death.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
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