I’m a single mom here in San Jose, California. I’m too busy with work to worry about auto insurance. Is there like an ultimate coverage out there for my car? I try to replace my vehicle with a new one every two years to stay away from headaches.

Rochelle

San Jose, CA

Hey there, Rochelle. I am glad you asked about ultimate auto insurance coverage for your car. Well, I’m pretty sure, since you asked about it, that you probably drive a relatively expensively priced vehicle, and thus are prepared to pay for a good insurance package. But let me just state it again–ultimate coverage doesn’t come cheap, honey. This is not like ordering a burger with everything on it.

I’m guessing you got the state minimums down pat. But just to be sure, let me squeeze in the basics. As a San Jose, California busy single mom, you’re supposed to get at least a 15/30/5 minimum coverage for liabilities. That’s $15,000 for each person injured in an accident of your own doing, with a limit of $30,000 per accident. For property liability, that’s $5,000 damage coverage only. Though California does not require you to get Underinsured Motorist coverage and Personal Injury coverage, you can think about those. Some other types of coverage you can think of adding on for your next vehicle purchase are Collision and Comprehensive coverage. Collision coverage protects you from those smash ups regardless of who caused the accident. Comprehensive coverage, as the name suggests, protects you from everything else like falling trees, animals hitting your car, earthquakes, fires, theft and vandalism. Be sure to ask not only insurance agents but your friends and family, as well. I hope you get the vehicle insurance package that best suits your needs.

Tags: auto insurance, collision insurance coverage, comprehensive insurance coverage

Comment: I think this is a super question to inquire about your teen driver. At 17 years of age this teenage driver can not legally enter a contract since they are not considered an adult. I would assume that most teenage drivers would be considered “safe” drivers they are still not old enough to sign the insurance contract.

I would also assume that most insurance companies would require a parent and or a legal gaurdian to sign the contract and to be financially responsible for the vehicle and the driver’s actions.

I would start off your investigation by making a few phone calls the local insurance carriers in your area and get their opinion on this question.

I really do not see why you could not get decent coverage for your teen driver, but a better question might be are you going to be able to afford this type of coverage?

You might also want to contact the Dallas car insurance bureau or DMV to ask them if there are any restrictions for obtaining Dallas auto insurance in your area or specific situation.

I think this is a super question to inquire about your teen driver. At 17 years of age this teenage beginner driver, can’t legally enter a binding contract since they are not considered an adult. I would also guess that most teenage drivers would be considered “good” drivers they are still not old enough to sign on the dotted line of the contract.

I would also assume that most vehicle insurance agencies would also require a parent and or a legal gaurdian to sign the contract and to be financially responsible.

You might want to start off your investigation by making a few phone calls the local insurance carriers in your immediate area and get their opinion on this question.

But I really do not see why you couldn’t get coverage for your teen driver. A better question to ask my be are you going to be able to afford this type of coverage?

You might also want to contact the Atlanta GA car insurance bureau or DMV to ask them if there are any restrictions for obtaining car insurance in Georgia.

Last 2005 I got a DUI in New Jersey but I now live in California. How long will it stay on my record and will it affects my record in my new state?

Harold

Good question Harold.

Your DUI conviction will stay as part of your permanent New Jersey driving record. Since you have moved already to California you should check with the CA Department of Motor Vehicles to check if they have placed this DUI conviction or any other moving violations that were previously on your New Jersey driving record on your California driver’s history.

California legislation extends the reporting period for DUI offenses from 7 to 10 years for all public requests, and that includes insurers.

The new law states that you may not be able to qualify for a good driver discount until 10 years from the date of your violation. Up until 2007 a DUI may have been considered by an insurance carrier for premium surcharges for a period of 7 years but now it can be considered for ten years in California.

Since your DUI happened out of state you may contact the California Department of Insurance, to get information on how long an insurance company in California can rate you on this NJ DUI from 2005. You may speak to your insurance agents if you have any more concerns regarding your insurance premiums.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

How do car insurance companies calculate the rate they charge in California?

Imogene

Good Question Imogene.

The insurance premium you pay to your car insurance are either set by the state or determined by the insurance company that you have depending on your jurisdiction.

Insurance companies combine a number of different factors to determine the individuals premium. Each insurance companies have different ways of looking at things that is the reason why this will produce different variations in prices.

Here are some of the elements that insurance companies consider that affects your final insurance rates:

The kind of car you drive

Car insurance companies have different claim experiences of the makes and models of the car to produce the insurance rate of an individual. They check on the repair cost and the risk of the car being stolen and then price it accordingly. One of the factor would be the current value of your car in the market.

where you live

Insurance rates are generally higher in the metropolitan area. There is a higher likelihood that accidents, theft or vandalism may happen in cities with higher density of traffic and people.

your driving record

One of the major factors that affects your insurance rate is the number of years that you have been licensed to drive and your previous insurance records. If you have a clean driving record, your premiums will be much lower than with those that had convictions or accidents.

how your vehicle is being used

The more you use your vehicle , the higher the odds of you getting involve in an accident. People who do not do much driving will have a lower insurance premium than those who always use the vehicle or those that use extensive amount of driving. If you have inexperienced drivers in the household, your insurance premium will likely to be higher.

These are just some of the factors that affects your premiums. That is why it is best to get several quotes and compare all the prices to make sure you will get the best car insurance that will get you fully covered and saves a lot of money in the long run.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

1. Make sure that you have carefully read the policy.

2. Ask any agent of contact your insurance company if there is part of the policy that you dont understand.

3. If you get involve in an accident, call the police immediately. Call the paramedics if there are people injured.

4. Get all the information you need that you can give to your insurance company.

5. Immediately notify your insurance company about the accident.

6. Ask you insurance agents regarding on how to file a claim if you dont know the procedure.

After you file a claim to your insurance company, they will contact you for any additional information such as the detailed accounts of what happened. Other witnesses will also be contacted as part of the investigation. You must also file documentation of your injuries, medical expenses etc.

The damage will be evaluated by the adjuster and will inspect the damage. The repair shop will contact the insurance company if additional damages were found during the repair process.

Become familiar with your insurance policy. Make sure you read carefully what your coverage is and that is not covered.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

I live in California and I just want to know what I should do if I cant find an insurance company that will insure me?

Thyme

Good Question, Thyme.

Some of the insurance companies specialize for the high risk drivers. This what we call the non standard market. If you plan to purchase in the non standard markets, make sure you shop around first because the requirements and eligibility are different from these insurance companies.

If you still cant find an insurance company that will insure you, you can get liability coverage from the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan. (CAARP). This plan is for those who are unable to find an insurance company from the non standard markets and for those who do not qualify as a good driver.

Heres how the plan works. Your application will be assigned to an insurance company. All insurance companies are required to accept all applicants of CAARP. The rates for the plan are all the same regardless of which insurance company that issues the policy. This plan is also available in installment. If you maintain a clean driving record for three years, you may be able to move to a standard line insurance company.

You may check with the certified insurance agent of CAARP to find out more information on how to apply for the insurance with this plan.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

What other coverages can I purchase that is available in the state of California?

Mark

Thank you for asking Mark.

Other coverage that you can purchase aside for the state minimum liability coverage are:

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist

This provides an insurance if the other driver that is at fault does not have the required minimum liability coverage or insufficient policy to cover injuries in the event of an accident. This also covers any damages on your car.

Other optional coverage that is being offered by most insurance companies are:

Medical Payments

This covers any medical bills and any similar expenses

Physical Damage

Collision coverage covers damages to your vehicle caused by collision to another vehicle or with any object regardless who is at fault. Comprehensive coverage covers any damage to your vehicle other than collision like fire, theft, vandalism, acts of nature, etc.

Endorsement/Riders

This covers special equipments, towing service fees, and rental reimbursement.

These coverage are optional. You can add this to your insurance premium to get you fully protected and saves money in the future.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

What information do insurance companies get if apply for a car insurance in California?

Ray

Good question Ray.

The insurance company or an agent will ask for certain personal information if you apply for a car insurance. This would help them determine if you are eligible for the coverage and they will be able to know the price for your coverage. The information that will be collected if you apply for a car insurance are; driving record, automobile mileage driven and years of driving experience.

A Motor Vehicle Report will be ordered for all the drivers on the insurance application by the insurance company on some states. The Motor Vehicle Report is an official record of a motorist that can be obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicle. This is being use to verify any traffic offenses, license revocation and any accidents of all driver’s listed on all application.

In case of any unsatisfied judgment, major traffic or moving violations. license suspension and failure to show liability insurance, a California Insurance Proof certificate or SR22 is needed. This is being filed by the insurance company to the Department of motor vehicles. Normally the requirement period is up to three years. Any minor convictions remains on the record for 3 years, 7 years for the major convictions like hit and run, reckless driving etc.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Threes a lot of options available when choosing for the right coverage so you should shop carefully and compare the prices that these insurance companies offer.

The first thing that you should ask yourself is if you need a higher limits. You have the option to consider a policy with a higher limits from the required minimum liability coverage from the state since you are personally responsible for the damages you may cause in the event of an accident. It would be worth considering an extra coverage due to increase of hospital bills and other expenses like car repairs.

The next best thing to do is to shop around. Each insurance company is allowed to calculate its own rate based on the past laws experience and expenses. Therefore the rates will differ since company’s experience are different even if they are located in the same geographical area. You may be able to contact any independent agents, company agents that represent a certain insurance company, websites and other writers for insurance company. They will be able to help you decide which company to choose and the best rate that you can get.

You should be wise on choosing the right insurance company for you. This can greatly affect the premiums that you pay for your vehicle, It is best to compare before deciding what policy to choose.