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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Question:

I’m about to get my teenage daughter her first car. She’s a good student and I’ve enrolled her to defensive driving class also here in Rochester, MN. I heard that with those two things, I’d be able to get some discount on my insurance once I’ve added her under my name. Is this true?

Erin

Rochester, MN

It’s a known fact that having a teenager driver under your insurance’s name will definitely increase your premium, but still there are a lot of factors which could help you lower down your insurance rate.
And going back to your question, yes you are correct. Having a daughter who do good in school and had defensive driving school training can make you save more on your premiums. And other factors that you should take in consideration in getting a cheaper rate for your insurance are:

1. Teach your daughter the importance of keeping a clean driving record. Having a spotless driving history would result in getting lower premiums.

2. If it’s possible, send you daughter to a school which is 100 miles away from your place. You can avail of discounts if your teenager’s school is as far as that.

3. Have your teenager under your policy instead of getting a separate insurance for her.

4. Instead of giving you daughter “full’ driving privileges, apply driving restrictions to you her. This way she’ll learn how to follow rules right from where it should start - your home.

I also feared that moment when my son started driving here in Rochester, Minnesota. I know for a fact that I would be paying more and more on my insurance. But there’s still hope for all of us parents. Just follow those tips and you’ll surely have lower premiums than what you’re expecting.

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

Reader’s Question:

I have a sister that has her own car insurance in Scottsdale, Arizona; I realized that my rates are higher than hers. Why is it that males pay more for car insurance than females?

Leonardo

Scottsdale, AZ

Prices for car insurance differ from company to company. It is usually determined by claim experience over time, but with all factors considered being equal, a female between the ages of 18 and 25 will generally pay less then her male counterpart. This is because generally speaking, younger women have lesser accidents and moving violations than males in the same age group.

The reason that this is the case is because males on an average drive more than females and if you drive more then your odds of being in a car accident increases. In addition, young men are more often risk takers behind the wheel. This often results in moving violation tickets and both of those factors result in higher premiums. Gender really does affect your insurance rates in Scottsdale, AZ, because statistically female drivers have less incidents than males. Just like location (except in the State of California), marital status, and driving history affects your insurance rates. But now for the good news, most car insurance companies recognize that because you did drive more as a young man that when you are a bit older and your driving experience grows, you can look forward to paying less than what women pays. This is most especially true if you have a good driving record and no claims.

You can check for any discounts to get a lower car insurance premiums such as safe driver discounts, safety features, multi-line, if you have homeowners and car insurance through the same company, etc.

Tags: auto insurance premium, cheap auto insurance, Female Car Insurance

Reader’s Question:

I’m considering on cancelling additional coverage from my insurance policy in Garland, TX, because the cost is getting more expensive. Do you know at what point should I consider removing collision and comprehensive coverage from my policy?

Francis

Garland, TX

I understand your concerns for paying the additional coverage on your car insurance. Removing collision and comprehensive coverage from a specific vehicle’s insurance coverage in Garland, Texas, requires the insured to completely understand that the responsibility of repairing or replacing that vehicle rest exclusively with the insured. The insurer bears no responsibility to restore or replace the automobile since physical damage coverage has been eliminated by the insured.

Certain collision insurance coverage may still exist under the uninsured motorist provision if that coverage has been bought by the insured. However, the party who caused the accident must be deemed to be at fault. Many Texas insurers agree that the minimum cost for a reasonable vehicle is $2,000 assuming that the vehicle being purchased is equipped with functioning air conditioning and is in a safe driving condition. If you determine your vehicle is worth less than the stated amount, it is conceivable that the cost of collision and comprehensive coverage, coupled with the outlay of your deductible at the time of the repair, may create an unjustifiable insurance investment. Some insured base their decision on their individual financial position, raising the bar to $4,000 or $5,000, agreeing to replace the automobile that is worth less than the stated amounts themselves rather than filing a car insurance claim.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance cost

Reader’s Question:

I am 18 years old and currently under the coverage of my parent’s insurance policy. They want to move to Illinois but I will be staying in Appleton Wisconsin. My question is, is it possible for me to stay on their insurance but to not live in the same household as them? I own my car and can’t afford to have my own insurance as of now.

Patrick

Appleton, WI

Once your parents move out of state and you chose to stay, it is not likely that your parents will be able to continue to have you and your car on their insurance policy. A problem may arise regarding the difference between Illinois’s insurance liability requirements to that of Wisconsin’s. Most insurance carriers will not cover a person and car that is not part of the insurer’s household. Most likely, an insurance company will not permit you or your car to be covered on your parent’s policy once they move, especially to another state since your car will not be garaged at the address of your parents.

Wisconsin has a financial responsibility law that applies to any motorist licensed to drive. Purchasing insurance for a vehicle is the easiest and most often used method of meeting the FR mandates. The minimum liability limits set by the state is 25/50/10; these numbers represent the allocations of an auto insurance coverage: $25,000 for one person in one accident injury or death; $50,000 for injury or death of 2 or more people in one incident; and $10,000 for property damage caused in one accident.

You will need to obtain your own car insurance policy for your motor vehicle if your parents move to Illinois and you remain in Wisconsin. You are likely to face expensive premium rates due to being an inexperience driver who is considered to be at a higher risk to road accidents. You can check ways to reduce the insurance premiums you will need to pay. One way is looking for discounts due to safety features on your car. Another way is by taking a driver improvement or safety course. Some insurers lower rates if you take courses from approved traffic schools. Also, if you’re in school and maintain good grades, some insurers give good student discounts.

Tags: Car insurance discounts, Student car insurance, teen insurance, Young driver car insurance

Reader’s Question:

My son is graduating from high school and I’m thinking of giving him a new car as his graduation gift. But, I don’t know what I should consider in getting cheap car insurance for him in Medford. I’m hoping someone can help me with this. Thanks!

Caitlin

Medford, OR

Hi Caitlin! I was once in your position. When my eldest son turned 17 all I could hear from him was for me to buy him a new car. Good thing I have an uncle who’s a car insurance agent here in Eugene, OR, who just taught me important things that I need to consider. Here are just some:

1. Careless Driving means higher premium payments. So, it’s important for your son to observe traffic laws at all times. It is a fact that clean driving record will always be awarded with lower premium payments so who needs speeding tickets under your son’s belt?

2. Discipline is the key. As a new driver, there are some license restrictions that your son must follow like daylight driving and zero alcohol restrictions.

3. More safety features means less accident. So if you’re shopping for a car it is essential to consider the car’s safety features.

4. Always get a stand alone policy. This kind of policy means that that your son is not considered as an additional driver in your insurance so he is solely responsible for his own insurance. There are car insurances that specialize in teen insurance that you can purchase.

5. Make sure to get car insurance with a greater deductible. Higher deductible means lower premium.

As a mother myself, I would say that teaching your son on being responsible would always be the best thing I can suggest. It’s always important that we make them accountable for their own actions. You can start by making them pay a part of their insurance. That always works.

Tags: auto insurance, Beginner car insurance, Car insurance discounts, teen insurance, Young driver car insurance