I have once been convicted for a drunken driving case here in Maryland and had my license revoked. I need to get back on the road that’s why I’m getting SR22 insurance. Since I plan to do it online, will I be able to get cheap SR22 insurance online?

Nelson

Baltimore, MD

Car owners who are charged for violating certain traffic rules like DUI or driving without the minimum car insurance coverage need to get SR22 insurance. Since SR22 insurance is given to high risk drivers, it is normally more expensive compared to other types of car insurance. Car owners can get cheaper SR22 insurance by shopping for SR22 insurance online. The Internet offers tons of resources on cheap SR22 insurance which should help drivers to get an affordable SR22 insurance.

Not all car insurance companies offer SR22 insurance to their customers; and those that do, charge expensive rates compared to other types of car insurance because of the high risk nature of the policy. Those who need SR22 insurance have no choice but to pay the high monthly fees of SR22 insurance since they cannot drive without it. This is another reason why car insurance companies can raise their SR22 insurance rates.

But the good news is that car owners in need of cheap SR22 insurance in Maryland can still purchase more affordable SR22 insurance through the Internet. There are a lot of websites available that offer cheap SR22 insurance online. Car owners can have the flexibility and convenience of shopping for SR22 insurance online without having to spend time calling up numerous car insurance companies.

Car owners can just log on to an SR22 insurance website to get cheap SR22 insurance quotes and all it takes is a few clicks of the mouse. Car owners can also compare SR22 insurance quotes online that allow them to determine the best SR22 insurance policy given their budget.

It also helps if a driver getting the SR22 insurance has a good credit standing. Car insurance companies giving cheap SR22 insurance online prefer to give discounted SR22 insurance to car owners who can pay their bills on time.

If my car gets stolen here in Louisiana, and I haven’t paid the full loan yet, will my automotive insurance pay off the remaining balance?

Philip,

Metairie, LA

If your vehicle gets stolen, the first thing that you should do is to report it to the police and to your auto insurance company there in Louisiana. A claim will be placed under your physical damage coverage, specifically under the comprehensive portion.

If your vehicle is not recovered, the automotive insurance company would have to settle with you the actual cash value (ACV) of your vehicle. The ACV is the amount that should be paid in order to replace the lost item or property (depreciation allowance and deductible considered). This value is determined by comparing the condition of your vehicle with those of other vehicles. The input of local auto dealers and other private parties may be considered in determining this cost, as well as the condition of your vehicle and the mileage differences.

The actual cash value of your vehicle may be computed manually or through the help of computerized evaluation processes. Most auto insurance companies use third party computer programs (such as the CCC) to assist them in estimating the costs of damage claims. This computer program provides the auto insurance company with an updated database that is used as a yardstick to determine the true value of your vehicle based on the evaluation of repair shops and auto dealers.

Once the actual cash value of your vehicle has been determined, this amount will be settled by your auto insurance company and will be paid out to you.

My friend who is serving in the military was cited for DUI while he is stationed in another state, if I am not mistaken it happened in California. Will this reflect on his license? Also, will this affect his auto insurance rate? I mean since this happened in another state, is it possible that his auto insurance company will find about this? We are from Fort Wayne, Indiana if that would help you in anyway.

Sally

Fort Wayne, IN

Yes Sally it would show up on his driver’s license and would affect his auto insurance rate so much, if I may add.

Most states in the US are members of the Driver License Compact (DLC). With this compact, member states can exchange information about a person’s traffic violation and license suspension. For example, an out of state violation like what happened to your friend in California will be sent back to your home state in Indiana because both California and Indiana are members of DLC. However, there are a total of five states that are not members of DLC – Michigan, Tennessee, Georgia, Wisconsin and Massachusetts.

Drinking under the Influence (DUI) is considered a very serious offense. Though I cannot give you how much increase it will have on your friend’s auto insurance rate for the reason that it depends on his car insurance company, I only knew one thing – it will increase so much. I would suggest asking for legal help since this kind of violation involves legal actions. If his car insurance rate increased so much, check the websites so he can shop for different DUI friendly auto insurance rates in Indiana

Can you give me some tips on what I should do after an accident?

Carl

Jackson, MS

Here are some tips on what you should do after an accident:

1. Check first if anyone needs medical attention.

2. You need to call the police. They will inform you whether you need move the vehicles, and whether the law enforcement officer will come take statements from those involved in an accident. If a police officer asks you some questions, be factual. If a police officer is not involved, get information from the other driver involved by getting their names, addresses, phone numbers and insurance providers names with each driver.

3. If you have a camera with you, take some pictures of all the cars involved in the accident so to avoid the other drivers placing car insurance claims for the damages not related to that accident.

4. Get some contact information from any witnesses in the accident.

5. Call your car insurance carrier immediately to know what procedures you need to do.

6. Follow up on the police records.

I have a car however I do not drive it. Am I required to put car insurance on it? I live in Carson, California.

Henry

Carson, CA

The state of California has rules and guidelines with regards to inoperable automobile. The state of California law requires current vehicle registration for automobile if they are driven, stored, towed, parked on public roadways or highways or parked in an off-street public parking area at any time during the vehicle registration period.

If you have an inoperable automobile in Carson, California you can apply for non-operational status on the automobile and pay a planned non-operation (PNO) fee. Once this status is placed on a automobile’s record, it stays until you decide to drive the automobile again and pay full registration renewal fees.

I am from Buena Park, California. I have temporary tags on my car. Unfortunately, last week while my car was parked on the street, it was towed. I was neither given any warning nor citation. I maintain car insurance on that vehicle. However, the temporary tags I have for that car had expired a month ago. Is it still legal for my car to be towed even if the tags I was using had just expired last month? Will this increase my auto insurance rate?

Alec

Buena Park, CA

I am sorry for what happened.

The state of California does not give a grace period after a driver’s tags had expired. Meaning to say, once the tag expires, penalties will be applied to the person who owns the vehicle. The longer you failed to pay the fees, the higher the amount of penalty would be.

Let’s take this for example, in your case you said the tag had expired lat month so I am assuming it’s been like 30 days. The penalties for failing to pay the registration for annual renewal between the days of 11 to 30 would be 20% of the vehicle license fee that needs to be paid for the year and 20% of the weight fee. Meanwhile, if it’s between 31 days- to 12 months, the penalties would triple to as much as 60% each for the vehicle license fee and the weight fee.

As to your question if it’s legal that your vehicle be towed without any warning, yes it is. The reason is simple, the tags are expired, then your vehicle can be towed anytime. It lies upon the decision of the law enforcement officer though if he/she will give you a ticket or have your car impounded. In your case, the officer chose the latter option.

As to your question if this incident will affect your auto insurance rate, it’s best to ask your auto insurance agent in Buena Park, CA. However, usually auto insurance companies do not consider non-moving violations as a serious offense. This is not likely to affect your auto insurance rate.

I recently got married. I have a 16-year old step son with my new husband. He is from Ohio with an Ohio auto insurance. His dad and I live in West Virginia. We have auto insurance policy on all of our vehicles. If he comes here and drives our car and gets in an accident will he be covered by our auto insurance policy in Huntington, West Virginia?

Thalia

Huntington, WV

Best wishes!

In general, car insurance companies follow the vehicle-first and driver-second policy. Let’s take this scenario as an example. Your step-son is using your husband’s car and a vehicular accident happened. The insurance that would cover the damages incurred from said accident would be the car insurance policy on the vehicle being used at that time. Whatever damages that exceeded the policy limits on the vehicle will be covered by the insurance company that the driver has. But, I want to inform you though this is the general practice. You still need to talk to your car insurance agent in Huntington, West Virginia to clarify this matter.

It seems to me that your teen step-son frequently visits your husband. If that is the scenario, then it would be best if you would add him under your auto insurance policy. Because, depending on your auto insurance company’s guidelines, there is still a possibility that your step son will not be covered by your car insurance if he is involved in a car accident. It’s always best to be ready of whatever might happen while he’s driving your car.

I was a passenger in an auto accident. I do not own a car or a drivers license so I do not have car insurance at all in Detroit Michigan and I am wondering as to who will pay my medical bills and my lost wages?

Jim

Detroit, MI

To know what insurance carrier is responsible for your lost wages and medical bills will depend the type of car insurance they require drivers to carry.

In the state of Michigan, which is a no-fault state, if you are a passenger in the car accident and was injured typically your own vehicle insurance would pay your benefits. However in a situation such as yours where you do not have car insurance you would collect the benefits from the insurance carrier that covered any car owned by a relative that you reside with. If you did not have auto insurance coverage in Detroit Michigan that way either then you would have to get from the insurance carrier covering the vehicle or driver in which you were riding.

Typically if you are in a state without no-fault laws you would be able to place your injury claims through the at-fault person’s insurance policy. You may contact the insurance regulatory body in Michigan to get more information.

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Are you required to have proof of auto insurance with you while driving in Durham North Carolina?

Greg

Durham, NC

You can verify with the North Carolina state statutes, to check if it specifically notes that proof of insurance must be with at all times while driving or not.

Even if the state statute does not expressly note that the insurance card must be in a car while they are driving, it is always advisable to have the vehicle’s insurance card with the car in case a police officer requests proof of insurance or if you must provide this insurance information to others after being in a crash.

For more North Carolina insurance laws inquiries try contacting the NC Department of Insurance.

I have an auto insurance policy with medical payments. Do I have to reimburse the insurance provider for the medical payments?

Harry

Gulfport, MS

I think your question to be, do you have to reimburse the car insurance carrier for medical payments? Insurance carriers differ on their guidelines but medical insurance on car insurance policies usually only pays in excess of what your primary or personal medical insurance does not pay.

If your primary medical insurance paid and you were also reimbursed by your car insurance carrier for the same medical bill you might owe them money back. However if the car insurance medical coverage did what it is intended to do, pay the excess that your personal medical insurance did not cover, you should be fine. If you need information regarding your specific car insurance policy contact your insurance broker or agent.