Why did my vehicle insurance company here in California send this “adjuster” guy to my uncle’s shop? They already have a list of the repairs that he made to my car, so why are they bothering to send another guy?

Mei

San Jose, CA

A vehicle insurance company in California, and anywhere else in the U.S. for that matter, will send adjusters or appraisers to double check and evaluate the insurance claims to see if they’re reasonably priced.

Basically, adjusters step in as “arbiters” who provide the final say when it comes to estimating the cost of vehicle repairs in a shop. Their estimate is what the vehicle insurance company will bank on to prevent the contracted repair shop from overcharging the costs of repairs.

Don’t feel threatened by adjuster: it’s his or her job to estimate the cost of repairing the damage to your car, investigate liability in the accident and generally work for your benefit. You’ll have no problems as long as your uncle’s auto repair shop is playing by the rules. If you have photos or videos of your car’s damages before being repaired, present them to the adjuster for extra proof of the extent of damage.

On the flipside, it may be the adjuster who’s over-charging for repairs, so you may want to consider asking the adjuster to make a comprehensive breakdown of the expenses to check and confirm his or her estimates. Be especially careful if the adjuster is a staff adjuster who works for your vehicle insurance company.

Also, you may want to wait until the adjuster arrives before repairing your car the next time you get into an accident. Both the adjuster and your uncle can then make proper estimates together so neither of them will have problems with over or underestimating the extent of damage to your car.

Hi there. I got in a bit of trouble last night and bumped the car into a tree. Will my automobile insurance pay for the repairs to my car? How can I ask them to pay? I have liability insurance.

George

Long Beach, CA

Hi George, I hope you are all right after your accident. First of all, you will need to look at your automobile insurance papers or call your agent in California to find out if you are covered for the damage to your car. If you bought just the minimum automobile insurance required by the state, I’m afraid you might not have the right coverage as most states only require liability insurance which will pay for damages to other people or property.

In order for your insurance company to pay for the damages to your vehicle, you must have first signed up for collision insurance. However, they will not pay for the full amount of the bill. You will still have to cough up your share of the deductibles before they will pay for their share of the bill. Before you file a claim, first evaluate whether you actually need to. If the damage is minimal, and you can afford to pay for it, it may be better to take care of the damages yourself. If you do file a claim, know that this will be placed into your record and may affect your automobile insurance rates in the future. If you still wish to proceed, I suggest you ask your agent about your automobile insurance companies’ process for filing a claim. This will most likely involve some paperwork where you will be asked for details of the accident.

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

Can I drive without insurance in California? What is the cheapest minimum coverage should I have?

Mel

Thank you for asking Mel.

It is mandatory that all motorist has a car insurance in California. There’s a lot of drivers looking for the cheapest car insurance and insurance companies are willing to provide it. Drivers that do not have their vehicles insured will incur penalties in the state of California. You license may also be suspended or revoked if you fail to show proof of financial responsibility. A ticket may also be issued if you fail to show proof of auto insurance when asked by the person with authority. So it is very important for the motorist to get the cheapest car insurance they can get to make sure that they get the policy that meets or exceeds the state minimum required liability insurance.

The minimum California liability insurance are $15000 for the death/injury per person in an injury and $30000 for the death/injury of all the people involved in an accident plus additional $5000 for the property damage liability. A person have the option to fulfill the obligation by posting a surety bond or making a cash deposit with the California Department of Motor Vehicle.

It is easy to purchase a ca insurance plan but what is important is to choose a reputable insurance company that will provide you the coverage.

There are other factors that you need to consider when purchasing cheap car insurance. Those who drives old vehicles are generally suited to get the cheap car insurance. A cheap car insurance may not cover a person in the event of an accident or collision. Cheap car insurance will certainly not cover the towing charges and the rental fees while the damaged car is being repaired. All cheap car insurance companies offers are all different. Therefore it is best to compare several companies.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

USAA also helps out members of the military and their families by creating plans where they can buy things, such as video cameras, through their auto insurance coverage. They offer credit cards, and are very understand of members of the military who are deployed. While these soldiers must keep any vehicle on United States soil insured, while they are away there is really no reason for them to have liability insurance if the car is in storage. In order to help them save money, USAA offers cut coverage auto insurance rate by allowing soldiers to only pay for comprehensive auto insurance on their vehicles while they are deployed outside of the country.

USAA isn’t the only company which offers these perks. Other companies, such as GEICO, have plans that allow members of the military a break both while on base and while abroad. You’ll find that around a base area, your California auto insurance rate will be much lower if you are a member, active or retired, of the United States military than it would be if you were in some other area of California. Unlike GEICO, though, USAA does not only have a history of serving the military, but it continues to do so even today, when most companies find they make more money serving lower risk members of the entire populace.

What is injury liability insurance?

Miranda

Thank you for asking, Miranda.

There are two types of California auto insurance injury liability. One is for the death or injury of a single person, and the other extends the first coverage to take care of the deaths or injuries of multiple people. It isn’t necessary to distinguish them when you go to buy your California auto insurance, though, as both are required. No California auto insurance company will sale you less than the required amount, which is:

• $15,000 for one person
• $30,000 for more than one

However, most California auto insurance companies will suggest a higher level of coverage, and it would be advisable to take their suggestion to mind, considering how much medical bills tend to be. They suggest you get at least $100,000 of liability for one person, and another $300,000 for multiple people.

This type of California auto insurance coverage is the key kind of liability. If you should cause a car accident through your negligence, then the person who is injured in that accident can sue, which is why you need high levels of this type of insurance. If the other driver sues for pain and suffering, or for wages they’ve lost, then you could be out of a lot of money if you don’t have liability California auto insurance coverage.

When you get into an accident, the bodily injury California auto insurance liability applies in a strange way. The first limit, for a single person, is what will apply to each person, but the second is for the entire accident. So, if you get into a car accident and one of the injured’s medical bills come out to $20,000, but you only have the required $15,000 per person California auto insurance coverage, then you will have to pay the difference.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

I have a California driver’s license but I do not have car insurance. Can I still use my friend’s car if its insured?

Cheska

Good question Cheska.

According to the California Department of Motor Vehicle, all car drivers and vehicle owners must have the required minimum liability car insurance. This means that even if you do not have a vehicle, you would still need to carry an auto insurance and a driver’s license in California.

You may check with your friends insurance policy if you are covered with her policy if you’re going to drive your friend’s car. If you are going to drive that car on a regular basis, your friend should add you as the occasional driver on that car.

Normally, the car insurance insurance follows the car. So you should be covered by your friend’s car insurance.

It is best to check with the insurance provider if they have any exclusion in this kind of situation.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

I live in California and My car is registered in California but my sister uses it in Arizona. Should I get an insurance in Arizona if my sister is authorized to drive my car?

Ether

Thank you for asking Ether.

You should insure the car in the state where you registered it. It would be difficult to insure your car in Arizona since your car is registered in California. Almost all insurance companies would not allow to insure the car if the owner living in the one place and the car is residing or garaged in another state. That means they do not allow insuring vehicles from more than one household.

One more thing is that there are different required insurance in different states. In California the mandatory minimum liability insurance is 15/30/5. This means that the personal injury protection is $15000 per one person per accident, $30000 per 2 or more persons per accident and the property damage liability is $5000. The state of Arizona, however, requires 15/30/10. It also required in Arizona for all motor vehicles that will be continuously on their roadways to be covered by the insurance providers that is authorized to do business in the state.

For your car to be insured in Arizona, you will need to register it in Arizona. You may contact the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles on how to go about insuring your car in that state.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

I live in California but I’m currently working in Canada. What do I have to do to have insurance on my vehicle? I just want the cheapest liability only coverage.

Judy

Good question Judy.

It is compulsory to have car insurance in Canada. The liability insurance is required by the law for the protection from other people for the damage that you may cause in the event of an accident.

All motorist visiting Canada can be assured of the coverage using their current insurance policy if their insurance company agreed with the Canadian authorities to provide the coverage. There is no amendments necessary on your insurance coverage.

You should also get the yellow non-resident inter-province Motor Vehicle Liability insurance card from your insurance provider. This would serve as a proof that your insurance company has agreed to provide the minimum legal required coverage in any jurisdiction in Canada in where you travel. You will need to keep this card all the time in your vehicle as a proof of your insurance in case an officer will ask for it.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Is it illegal in California to drive a car without insurance?

Rica

Yes.

The California state laws requires all motorist to register or renew the registration and that you show proof of insurance. It is mandatory that all vehicle owners and drivers carry certain liability insurance.

The minimum monetary limit are the following:

$15000 for injury or death of one person per accident
$30000 for injury or death of 2 or more persons per accident
$15000 for property damage per accident

Tha state of California requires evidence of financial responsibility to be carried at all times in their vehicle. California states law states that unlicensed or those with invalid driver’s license car owners are subject to the same financial laws as valid California licensed drivers.

To drive legally in California you will need to get California auto insurance. You can get affordable quote online. Check individual websites to find out more whats right for you.

Goodluck!

MariCAR