How To File An Auto Insurance Claim In California?
Driving can be very risky in California highways. Theres always a chance that you may get involved in a traffic accident. Knowing what to do in this situation can help you save money whether its just a small fender bender or a major damage. Here are some of the tips you can do after an accident an how to file a claim from your insurance company for your convenience.
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 Need to Find Car Insurance Company In California
Reader’s Question:
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 Car Insurance Coverage Options Are Available In California?
Reader’s Question:
What other car insurance coverage can I purchase that is available in the state of California that will be a benefit to me?
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
Personal Information Needed by Car Insurance Company
Reader’s Question:
What information do insurance companies get if I 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
I Need Cheap Car Insurance in California
Choosing the right California depends on you. It isn’t the responsibility of the insurance company nor an agent to determine what type of coverage you need. You may be able to have an open discussion with an agent so you can decide what is the best option for you that fits your needs. You should need to know and decide the best coverage for you before you get involved in an accident and not after the accident.
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.
Why Does Car Insurance Have To Cost So Much?
Nobody wants to think about car accidents, aside from trying to drive well and avoid them. However, sometimes things happen and you can’t avoid them, so having a car that will stand up well in a car accident will both protect you and get you a good car insurance rate for your collision premium. With more information coming to light about what makes a car safe, even the car insurance companies are trying to get changes in the law so that car manufacturers have to construct their cars in a safe way.
Changes in laws have played a big part over the years in making damages less serious and the incident of car accidents fewer. The passage of laws that require seat belt and air bags, lower the speed limits and outlaw drunk driving, have been pushed by the insurance companies, among others, and they are not doing the same with other measures.
And accidents are certainly good motivators to these insurance companies. According to the government’s information, the costs that car accidents had were about three hundred dollars for every single person in the United States, or almost two hundred and thirty one billion dollars. That’s billions of dollars in California alone, the most populous state in the entire country, right before Texas. It is also one of the states with the highest amount of uninsured drivers, so although the study didn’t specify, it probably has the highest amount of costs as well.
The National Highway Traffic Association already performs crash tests on cars, but they are trying to get more tests to be done and more available to consumers so that we can make the right decision when trying to buy a safe car. This government associations wants us to know how the cars we want actually drive and react in a crash. They also want the companies that make the cars to wise up and start making better ones and safer ones.
At the moment, having a safer car will save you money on your insurance, and will probably continue to do so, just like you are still able to get discounts for having air bags, which are mandatory. However, requiring more safety means that car prices will go up because cars will be more expensive to make.
Car Insurance Companies Give Discounts For Defensive Driving Class
As most car insurance policy holders are aware of, the drivers around here are crazy. Aggressive and swerving little devils, it takes effort to not ram into them, on accident or on purpose (road rage). What many people who have been in accidents realize is that being able to compensate for the stupid driving habits of your fellows on the road can prevent a lot of pain, and not the least a insurance claim.
The way to find out how to avoid these crazy people is to sign up for a defensive driving course. Not only will you learn in one of these courses how to protect yourself on the road, but you will also avoid filing a car insurance claim, as well as being eligible for a insurance discount. Most car insurance companies do give discounts, both for defensive driving courses as well as regular introductory driver’s education courses.
Why take one?
- The National Insurance Safety Council says that almost eighty percent of car insurance accidents happen because the driver messed up in some way. If you learn how to drive defensively and responsibly, you can avoid being part of this statistic.
- If you have a speeding ticket, then you can go to defensive driving class and get it taken off of your driving record. That’s two drops in your Norwalk CA car insurance rates right there.
- The discounts on your Norwalk CA car insurance rates can be pretty high, ranging from five to ten percent. Normally, though, in order to get a discount, you have to take the class voluntarily.
Where do you take one?
- Classes for defensive driving are all over the place, but your Norwalk CA car insurance company will not recognize all of them. To find out which defensive driving school will get you a discount, ask your Norwalk CA car insurance agent or company representative.
- Make sure that the school you go to is authorized by the National Safety Council. You can check their website to make sure that your course is included.
Taking a defensive driving class can even be fun, and if you get your whole family involved, you should see how fast your Norwalk CA car insurance rates will dwindle.
Which Vehicle Makes Are More Expensive To Insure?
Your car insurance premium should be on your mind before, during, and after you have bought your vehicle from the car lot. Before hand, you need to check quotes, during you need to make sure you choose the right car, and after you need to get your coverage from the best car insurance company.
When you are buying a car, you will need to get comprehensive and collision car insurance coverage, and the latter of those two coverage options is more expensive the more likely your car is to be vandalized or stolen. Every insurance company bases its premiums on its own claims records, and you will only be able to get an idea of what each company will charge you by getting instant online car insurance quotes. However, if you look at this list of most stolen cars on a nationwide basis, then you’ll also have an idea of what kind of car you should avoid. Some of them are unexpected.
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Toyota Camry
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Honda Accord
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Honda Civic
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Chevrolet Full Size C/K Pickup
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Ford F-150
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Jeep Cherokee
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Oldsmobile Cutlass
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Dodge Caravan
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Ford Taurus
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Toyota Corolla
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Chrysler Neon
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Nissan Sentra
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Chevrolet Caprice
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Ford Explorer
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Chevrolet Cavalier
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Chevrolet Blazer
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Plymouth Voyager
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Pontiac Grand Am
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Ford Escort
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Acura Integra
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Dodge Ram
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Nissan Maxima
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Ford Mustang
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Buick LeSabre
Surprisingly, my ugly old Oldsmobile is on that list, which goes to show that car thieves will steal anything. However, even if you aren’t going shopping and already own one of these oft stolen cars, you can still get a good car insurance quote by adding some extra protection to your car. The National Insurance Crime Bureau says that the best way to go in terms of protecting your car and getting a good comprehensive car insurance quote is to put your anti theft measures on in layers, instead of just equipping one anti theft device.
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First layer: Don’t be dumb.
Some people think that it’s okay to leave the car on and the key in the ignition if they’re just running into the store for a minute and will be able to see the car the entire time, but this is not much protection. I read a story recently about a woman that did this, and someone stole the car, which had her one year old in it, and only brought it back because he didn’t want to be charged for kidnapping. First of all, no, don’t use your kids as anti theft devices. But also don’t leave your keys in the car. By the time you notice someone is in your car and run out into the parking lot, the car will be gone.
You also should make sure that, if possible, you park in well lit areas where there are a lot of people. It’s better to go to the store to do your shopping when it’s busy rather than in the middle of the night.
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Layer two: The deterrent.
Now, even if you are practicing common sense, there is still a chance that your car will get stolen. While deterrents usually won’t get you a good insurance rate, they are still a necessary component in your layered protection.
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Alarms and sirens.
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Wheel or brake lock or collar
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Tire lock
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Decal
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Layer three: Disenablers.
If they have no fear of the deterrents and manage to get into the vehicle itself, this type of anti theft device will make sure they are unable to hotwire your vehicle, or at least have a very difficult time of it. This type of device will get you a car insurance discount with most companies.
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Kill switch
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Disablers
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Smart keys
If you want to get the best car insurance discount with this type of anti theft device, then you need to get an active one. An active anti theft device is always active, whereas a passive one has to be activated by you every time that you leave the car.
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Layer four: Finding it.
If the thief is especially persistent and experienced, and somehow manages to bypass all of the other protections on your vehicle, then you will need a way to get your car back. Most stolen cars are not recovered, and police have to act very fast to get to the car before it is taken to the chop shop or across the border.
A tracking device can help you make sure that your car is recovered. It sends a signal to police so that they can find the find the car.
What Affects your Car Insurance Premium
Most people in the U.S. are pretty busy with their lives, between family, friends, work, and sometimes school, that they don’t have the time to shop around for a new car insurance policy every six months. For these people, it is not any less necessary for them to get the best insurance premium, so if they must, they can restrict their shopping around to when they have a life changing event instead of doing it by the calendar.
- If you move.
In most of the country, zip codes can have a big effect on your auto insurance premium, but with car insurance the effect is not as huge thanks to a California auto insurance law passed to make the location a small factor in the auto insurance premium. The reason it is a factor at all is mostly due to the amount of cars stolen in the area, and the law was passed because the policy had a negative affect mostly on low income and minority drivers.
However, even though your zip code does not say as much for your insurance score as before, it does affect it. When you move to a new zip code, you need to shop around for a better car insurance premium. In any case, you should at least see a change in the premium from your current company.
- If you buy a car.
Before you buy a car, you should check the insurance quotes to make sure it is the best choice in make and model. However, if you’re already certain of what car you want to get, you should still shop around to see what the quotes are from other companies in the area.
Car insurance companies base their rates for collision and comprehensive car insurance coverage on the number of claims they have gotten for those coverages in company, so one company might have seen more claims for your car than another. It’s best to go with the company that has had the best history with your new vehicle, and you can find out which one this is by getting several insurance quotes.
- If you get hitched.
They say that when you get married, two people become one, so naturally they will have a different insurance rate together than they would apart. Men profit the most out of this, seeing their rates decrease a good deal when they tie the knot, but so long as neither partner is very high risk, both will benefit from the union.
- If you get a new job.
Not only do many insurance companies give you discounts on your car insurance for the degree that you hold, but you can also get one based on what you do. For example, if you are a teacher or an engineer or a military service member, then you can get a discount on your insurance premium.
- If you stop working altogether.
When you retire, you are usually just between being in the cheapest car insurance demographic, and one of the most expensive. Being between fifty five and seventy, you are in a group of the safest drivers and will thus get the lowest rates. However, after seventy, your rates will go up. Many car insurance companies offer discounts to retired people, but you can get the best deal by buying your insurance policy through AARP. Whatever the case, it is best to shop around.
- If you’re just fed up.
You may have a liked a car insurance company for awhile, and then just got sick of paying the high rates and finding few available discounts. While there is a limited number of excuses not to shop around, there’s certainly no limit to reasons to do so.
Variance in Auto Insurance Rates in California
Progressive auto insurance company says that car insurance buyers would be able to save around five hundred dollars on their six month car insurance premium if only they shopped around for their prices. However, many don’t, which is why the majority of Americans and those who own insurance policies are paying too much for their car insurance.
Progressive said it got its information from a study of over seventy thousand customers over a six month period. The study relates the lowest car insurance rate possible versus the highest, and notes the gap (five hundred dollars in the case of car insurance). Depending on what state you are in, the degree of separation in dollars between the highest and the lowest car insurance premium can be more than many preferred car insurance pays in a year. In Houston, where I’m from, the variation is as much as $838 of variation for a six month policy.
Putting aside car insurance, some other areas in California had huge variances between auto insurance rates as well. Notable, San Francisco:
- $514 of variance
And Los Angeles:
- $616 of variance
Progressive went a little with its study and tried to see how aware California car insurance policy holders were of this rate variance. According to their findings, 65% didn’t realize that the variations between rates was so huge–most estimated it to be around one or two hundred dollars on average. And 60% of the people asked had not made an effort to shop around for a good insurance policy in several years.
Even if the company that you are with now had the best rates several years ago, that doesn’t mean that the same will be true today. New companies rise up and offer cheaper prices, and older companies find new ways to pass the savings on to their customers. The best thing to do to ensure that you get a cheap California car insurance quote is to shop around at least every six months.
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