Car Insurance Card Information

Reader’s Question:

I leave my car insurance card in the car. Is that ok or do I need to have it with me every time?

Ellen

Baltimore Maryland

 

This will depend on your state law but you must have proof of insurance available to show at all times especially if requested by a law enforcer. This will be needed as well if you will be in an accident because the other driver will exchange information with you.

Some state require an insurance company to report insurance status information for all private vehicle to DMV, law enforcers and court personnel for them to verify if your vehicle is currently insured but they still state that even with this access you must still carry proof of insurance in your car. A particular state notes that everyone should have the insurance card inside the vehicle just in case a proof of insurance will be requested by a police officer. You are required to show your proof of insurance.

Most of the time it does not really matter if you have the proof of insurance with you or kept in the car as long as you can show it once requested. Unable to show proof of insurance can lead to paying fines or going to court to prove that you are insured at the time of the accident. You need to be sure that you have the proof of insurance every time you drive the vehicle, this will help you avoid getting into sticky situation that will only waste your time and money if you just have the insurance card with you.

There are insurance companies that provide two copies of proof of insurance. You can carry one copy that you can put inside your wallet and the other one can be kept in the car. If you have two copies, I would suggest that you keep one in the car to make sure that every time you drive the vehicle you will have access to it. You can also check your insurance company if they can provide you with another copy if you feel like one needs it.

Car Insurance Rate And At Fault Accident

Reader’s Question

How much does my insurance increase if I caused the accident and if the other party claims injury?

Dion

Miami FL

You may anticipate a 10%-15% increase in your premium though there really is no specific amount in the increase. For drivers who have been indicted of accident or who have made a claim against their policy, insurance companies oblige a surcharge or charge points. The insurance companies are obliged to file their rates and guidelines with the state regulatory bodies like the Department of Insurance. Thus, there really is no law which tells that an insurance company can increase your premiums because of an accident. It’s just a matter of how these rates are filed and passed on to you as a consequence of an accident.

It is very important to keep a clean driving record and avoid accidents and traffic violation to keep you car insurance premium down. You may try taking defensive driving program to help lower your car insurance rate.

Car Insurance After Couple Of Accidents

Reader’s Question:

How can one become insured after 3 accidents? Am I gonna have a hard time getting car insurance from car insurance companies?

Brian

Los Angeles CA

If you encountered many accidents that make your policy worse, the insurance company may opt not to have your policy renewed.

The guidelines that define offensive driving differ per insurance company. Though for drivers under the influence of alcohol, this will most likely prompt a non-renewal of policy for each insurance company.

There are still some companies which are willing to take the risk but definitely you will be cost a higher premium. Many will still insure you. You can refer here to know how much car insurance quote it will cost you.

Commercial Car Insurance California CA

Reader’s Question:

What is a commercial car insurance and what should I bear in mind when purchasing one in California?

Dexter

Los Angeles CA

 

Any businesses that uses a car as part of its operations should definitely invest on a commercial car insurance. Small businesses that are home-based and that operates a vehicle will normally have a personal car insurance as adequate. On the other hand, for bigger businesses that uses vehicle to transport people and goods as part of operations, additional insurance specific for your business is required. Insurance for commercial cars differ from vehicle to vehicle depending on the purpose of your car.

If you are a business owner that uses cars mainly for business operations and driven by more than one person, then you will need to purchase a commercial car insurance. On the other hand, if your staff uses his own car mainly for your business, then you must also provide car insurance coverage for him. In this case, the main coverage of this car insurance is that of your staff.

Here are more considerations to take when you purchase your commercial car insurance in California:

• The driver of the vehicle, his driving history and other personal details that would relate to the car insurance policy
• The number of people that will be driving the car. There must be adequate coverage for each driver.
• The owner of the car. Is it you or is it your staff’s?
• The model and make of your car and in what insurance classification that your car belongs to.

As mentioned earlier, each car insurance should cover the liabilities for each driver. Additionally, there must be adequate collision and comprehensive coverage for each vehicle. The collision coverage will pay for the damages done to your car in an accident while the comprehensive coverage will pay for non-collision damages due to fire, theft or fierce weather.

There are also insurance policies for commercial cars that if your business vehicle is lost, your policy will cover for any lost business-related goods, inventory and materials that were in the car. Protect your business assets now before it’s too late.