Common Auto Insurance Questions
Part of what I do is answer questions from people, and I always assure them there truly is no such thing as a dumb question. Since many have similar questions, I thought a question/answer session might be informative.
Q: How many tickets can I have before my auto insurance premium increases?
A: That varies by company. Usually, Motor Vehicle Reports are requested by underwriters when there’s been claim activity or many times just randomly. The important thing to remember is if you have a moving violation, pay it as soon as possible. With most companies, a moving violation remains on your record for three years, and the conviction date (date ticket was paid) is used-not the date of the violation.
Q: My car got hit while parked at the mall. How will my insurance company handle the claim?
A: If you’re a hit-and-run victim and your car has collision coverage, you’ll have to pay the deductible to get it repaired. That wouldn’t be considered a chargeable accident, so your policy wouldn’t be surcharged. If you’ve removed collision coverage from your vehicle, you can add uninsured motorist property damage coverage, which usually carries a $250 deductible and has a limit of $15,000. The only catch is the uninsured driver that hits your vehicle has to be identified, so a hit-and-run situation would provide no coverage. This isn’t the same as uninsured or underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage-that’s for accidents that result in injuries.
Q: Should I call the police in this situation?
A: Usually, police won’t respond to an accident in a parking lot-especially when it’s a hit-and-run. It’s always wise to call police to accidents that happen in traffic, even if there’s little or no apparent damage or injuries.
Q: My mother-in-law just moved in with us. Is she covered if she drives my car?
A: Yes, per the definition in the policy of an insured driver, which includes relatives.
Q: What about her personal belongings?
A: Yes, per the definition in the homeowners’ policy of an insured person.
Q: What about my therapy sessions?
A: Possibly covered in your health insurance policy… TPW
Q: How many tickets can I have before my auto insurance premium increases?
A: That varies by company. Usually, Motor Vehicle Reports are requested by underwriters when there’s been claim activity or many times just randomly. The important thing to remember is if you have a moving violation, pay it as soon as possible. With most companies, a moving violation remains on your record for three years, and the conviction date (date ticket was paid) is used-not the date of the violation.
Q: My car got hit while parked at the mall. How will my insurance company handle the claim?
A: If you’re a hit-and-run victim and your car has collision coverage, you’ll have to pay the deductible to get it repaired. That wouldn’t be considered a chargeable accident, so your policy wouldn’t be surcharged. If you’ve removed collision coverage from your vehicle, you can add uninsured motorist property damage coverage, which usually carries a $250 deductible and has a limit of $15,000. The only catch is the uninsured driver that hits your vehicle has to be identified, so a hit-and-run situation would provide no coverage. This isn’t the same as uninsured or underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage-that’s for accidents that result in injuries.
Q: Should I call the police in this situation?
A: Usually, police won’t respond to an accident in a parking lot-especially when it’s a hit-and-run. It’s always wise to call police to accidents that happen in traffic, even if there’s little or no apparent damage or injuries.
Q: My mother-in-law just moved in with us. Is she covered if she drives my car?
A: Yes, per the definition in the policy of an insured driver, which includes relatives.
Q: What about her personal belongings?
A: Yes, per the definition in the homeowners’ policy of an insured person.
Q: What about my therapy sessions?
A: Possibly covered in your health insurance policy… TPW