Driving Without Insurance Tallahassee Florida FL

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Reader’s Question:

My Tallahassee Florida drivers license was recently revoked due to driving without car insurance. How do I reinstate it? Do I contact Tallahassee or go to the HSMV? I’m in the process of buying another used vehicle, do I insure my old vehicle which I will not be using or the new vehicle which is not under my name yet?

Carl

Tallahassee, FL

If your drivers license is suspended in Florida due to being found driving without car insurance you should contact the Highway Department of Motor Vehicles (HSMV). The HSMV website may provide you the information you need or you can call the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Customer Service Center hotline at 850/922-9000.

To have your drivers license reinstated in Tallahassee you will have to pay a reinstatement fee of $150 up to $500, for subsequent infractions, and provide proof of current car insurance. Any vehicles registered to you will need to be included on your car insurance policy. So if the older vehicle that you do not plan on driving is still registered under your name it will need to have FL insurance on it as well as the old car that you are buying.

 

Tags: auto insurance, driving without insurance

Drunk Driving Record Yonkers New York NY

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Reader’s Question:

I recently received a DUI in Yonkers, New York . I will be charge with DUI. Is it true that the DUI will remain on my record for seven years? My lawyer however told me that in New York, it will remain on my record forever. Which is true?

Brad

Yonkers, NY

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles sates that accidents, convictions for traffic violations, and the revocations or the suspensions of your driver license stay on your driver record for a different amount of time.

According to the New York State DMV a conviction that is alcohol-related or drug-related specifically stays on a driver record for exactly ten years. If a motorist is convicted of the same violation during that ten years, the motorist can receive additional penalties.

There are other violations and accidents of a serious type that can stay on a driver record for more than ten years. Also a New York revocation or suspension of a driver license that was not cleared or not terminated stays on a driver record indefinitely.

 

Tags: drunk driving insurance, DUI

Auto Insurance Question Washington DC

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Reader’s Question:

I live in Washington, DC and from what I know, my state is one of the choice states. This means that I have a choice of what kind of insurance I’d like to purchase, right?

Scott

Washington, DC

If you live in one of the choice states like KY, DC, NJ, and PA, you actually have a choice of what kind of car insurance you want to purchase. In Washington, DC, you may choose either a “no-fault” policy or “tort” policy for your car. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, which type of policy the parties have will determine how your bodily injury claim may be handled.

A “tort” policy follows the same procedure as bodily injury insurance claims in “fault” states. In the event of an accident, a “tort” is a wrongful act that renders the negligent driver liable to the injured party for damages. A tort policy provides the insured with coverage if someone is injured and files a car accident claim against the insured’s policy. Unlike no-fault where everyone is covered under their own policy, with a tort or fault-based system, the negligent party’s insurance covers the damages of those who are injured and not responsible for the accident.
Under the no-fault system in Washington, DC, you can choose to purchase personal injury protection (PIP) coverage for you and your passengers. This insurance policy is any combination of coverage for medical expenses, loss of income, and funeral expenses. If the injury qualifies under one of the many exceptions to the no-fault rules, you can still take legal action against the negligent party. Consulting an attorney to learn about what those exceptions are and how they work may be of great help.

 

Tags: auto insurance

Auto Insurance Company Reno Nevada NV

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Reader’s Question:

What should I do when I can’t resolve a dispute with my insurance company in Reno, Nevada?

Stephen

Reno, NV

Many insurance policies include an “appraisal clause” which means that disputes between insurance company and policyholders must be arbitrated (where a neutral party decides the outcome of the dispute) and not litigated (decided in a court of law). Each party will hire an appraiser to look at the claim and proposed settlement figures. If the appraisers can’t come up to a resolution regarding a fair settlement of your claim, they will submit their differences to a neutral third appraiser (commonly known as an umpire), and a decision by any two of the three is usually binding upon all the parties.

Although arbitration is less formal and less costly than litigation, it is not free. Each side pays the cost of its appraiser and divides the cost of the third appraiser, if there is one. If the appraiser fees are higher to what you were looking for from a settlement offer, the process isn’t worth your time. Therefore, consumers should think about the difference between the settlement amount they are seeking and the amount offered to see if going through the process is financially worth it.

The arbitration process may take anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months and may only be used in matters where damages are the only issue. If your Reno Nevada insurance company does not honor the arbitration decision, it is acting in bad faith and you may then take them to a court of law. This is the time that hiring an attorney is highly advisable.

 

Tags: auto insurance

Car Insurance Question Marietta Georgia GA

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Reader’s Question:

What does ’stacking’ mean in regard to auto insurance in Marietta Georgia?

Gabriel

Marietta, GA

Georgia’s state law allows people who purchase auto insurance to “stack” coverage – or add the coverage together for each insured vehicle – for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

Stacking of UM/UIM coverage are not allowed by most state laws. However, in many states that allow stacking, auto insurers include policy language that prevents policyholders from stacking UM/UIM coverage. So though your state may permit stacking, your policy policy language may expressly forbid it. Contact your Marietta GA agent or insurance company to know the exact terms on your policy language regarding stacking.
In the states where stacking of UM/UIM benefits is not allowed, you may still be able to stack coverage if you’re the driver of a vehicle hit by an uninsured motorist, injured as a passenger in a vehicle or a pedestrian struck by an uninsured driver.

Also, it’s possible for you to collect from your own UM and UIM coverage more than once since the two are treated as separate coverage in many states. For example, if you’re a pedestrian who was hit by an uninsured driver, your UM coverage would kick in first. If your UM coverage is not enough to pay for your injuries, then you could collect from your UIM coverage.

The laws in each state may vary widely with each situation and stacking UM/UIM benefits often depend on previous cases that have been decided in court.

 

Tags: auto insurance

What Is A Comparative Negligence Law?

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Reader’s Question:

What is meant by comparative negligence law? I live in Lorain Ohio.

Sean

Lorain, OH

Under Ohio’s comparative negligence law, parties share the cost of damages from an accident in proportion to their share of negligence. An injured driver deemed to be 50% or less at fault may recover his damages minus the percent caused by his own negligence. If it is more than 50% negligent, there would be no recovery for losses from the other party.
When involved in collisions, motorists find that insurance companies would normally investigate the factual circumstances in order to determine the degree of negligence of all parties. Although a police report is one important source of information, it may not supply all the information required to find out the negligence of parties involved. Sometimes, accident witnesses and other factors like the fact that the driver was cited for a violation of motor vehicle laws can be taken into consideration.

Disputes may happen when filing a claim with the other party’s insurance company. It is expected that not all the time, parties will agree on their share of negligence. As a way of negotiating with the other party’s insurance company, your own insurance company in Lorain Ohio can act as an arbiter and file the claim on your behalf. This also allows your insurer to take over negotiations with the other party and could speed the claims settlement process.

 

Tags: auto insurance, automobile

Car Insurance Rate Increase Overland Park Kansas KS

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Reader’s Question:

My driving records are clean and I have not had any accidents or violations but why does my auto insurance company in Overland Park Kansas continue to increase my premium?

Evan

Overland Park, KS

The costs of buying and repairing cars continue to increase throughout the years; reason why auto insurance companies increase the premiums paid by their policyholders. Even if you have an unblemished driving record, your insurance company in Overland Park, Kansas can still increase your rates and those of other drivers to cover costs incurred. Your premium rates will still be affected to offset the higher costs your insurance company pay for accidents involving others who are under the same insurance carrier as you are.

When an auto insurance company increases its premiums, it normally says something about the financial condition of that company. It is a direct reflection of the countrywide or statewide pool of losses that the company may be experiencing. Therefore, the losses of the few within the insurer’s pool of policyholders are paid for by all policyholders within the pool. This is the basis of the concept of insurance and without which no insurance would be available. This does not mean that your own favorable loss experience cannot be recognized since various insurers give numerous discounts to policyholders rewarding their excellent driving records. The other reasons for the increase in the cost of auto insurance are attributable to the costs to settle losses such as the costs to repair vehicles and the medical costs for injured persons which continue to rise. Also, the increase in lawsuits is also a major factor why insurance companies increase premium rates.

 

Tags: car insurance rate

Auto Insurance Cancellation Waukegan Illinois IL

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Reader’s Question:

If I cancel my policy in Waukegan Illinois, how would my car insurance company calculate the amount of premium to be refunded?

Scott

Waukegan, IL

Insurance premiums are normally calculated for a full year. If you cancel your policy, refunds are usually issued retroactively. So if you cancel your insurance 6 months into your policy, you will be refunded for the remaining 6 months. It is usually calculated to a daily value, so you will get a refund for the remaining days left in the year.

If an annual car insurance policy is terminated during the first year of cover, short-term premium rates are applied. This means that customers who have paid the premium in full by a lump sum payment are only eligible to a percentage of the paid premium as a refund. Customers paying their car insurance by installments usually owe some money to cover the short-term premium rates. The amount of premium left depends on those rates in force at the time of the insurance policy cancellation and the month in which the cancellation takes place.

However, it is still up to your Waukegan Illinois insurance company on what their refund policy is. Some companies will have a cancellation policy of 1 month’s cost of insurance if you cancel your policy. Many insurance companies however have no cancellation fee.

 

Tags: auto insurance, automobile

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