Auto insurance specialist » Auto Accident

Auto Insurance

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:59:04 +0000

Auto insurance is a contract with an insurance company that helps to protect you against severe financial loss if you are ever in an auto accident Auto insurance is required to protect yourself from road and auto accidents and may include losses for liability, medical payments and any physical damage resulting from the accident. The coverage of a personal auto policy includes the insured, his family members, friends and associates that may borrow the car.

Automobile insurance includes vehicles like cars and bikes and is available for everybody. Most states have laws that require basic auto insurance coverage for every driver. Only some states ask that you display financial responsibility. If you are involved in an auto accident or stopped by a police officer and found to be driving without car insurance or proof of financial responsibility, you will have to pay a fine or specific to the laws of your state which may also include loss of driving privileges. The financial responsibility law states that you have to demonstrate having sufficient assets to settle any judgments against you which may arise out of an auto accident. If you are uninsured and in an auto accident that involves property damage or injuries to people, you will be required to pay for any damages assessed by a court.

However, having quick payday loans does not prevent a person from suing you. It does assure that the financial and legal resources of the insurance company will assist you in defending the suit and paying for the damages in the case of an automobile accident.

Since most states require auto insurance from all drivers, the states have assigned risk plans to assure coverage. The plans vary from state to state, but assigned risk policies are usually expensive, because a bad driving record makes you a bad risk for any insurer. Most auto insurance policies are non-assessable. If you do have an assessable policy, you can be assessed an extra amount if your insurance company has had an extraordinary amount of car accidents that year.

Auto insurance rates have fallen considerably across the U.S. in the last two years. The reasons contributing to this decline are:

Safer cars

Falling crime rates

Stringent drunk driving laws

Increased competition among insurance companies

Ageing of the population

With a growing need for auto insurance, many insurance companies now offer specific auto insurance deals tailored to the consumer.

By: William Brister

Fraud – Auto Insurance Fraud

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:56:02 +0000

In the United States auto insurance fraud is becoming one of the biggest fraud problems this country is faced with. In this article we’re going to discuss some of the more common auto insurance fraud scams and what somebody can do to prevent them.

Today one of the most popular insurance fraud scams involves auto insurance and auto accidents. More specifically, staged auto accidents. These have actually become quite complex to the point where they involve multiple participants. There are many variations of these. We’ll cover the main ones here.

First there is what is called the swoop and squat. This scam involves three vehicles. Two are driven by the criminals and the third is driven by the victim. The driver of the “squat” vehicle positions himself in front of the victim. The person driving the “swoop” vehicle pulls ahead of the squat vehicle and intentionally cuts the vehicle off. This causes the driver of the squat vehicle to slam on his brakes and stop short. Usually, the victim can’t react quickly enough and rams into the squat vehicle. In the meantime, the swoop vehicle that caused the accident takes off and is never seen again. The victim tells police that the swoop vehicle caused the accident, but because that vehicle can’t be located the victim ends up having to pay for the damage and any personal injury claims.

Then there is what is known as the side swipe. This type of accident usually happens at busy intersections with dual left hand turn lanes. The criminal positions his vehicle in the outer left turn lane. When the victim’s vehicle drifts into the outer turn lane the criminal side swipes him. To make sure the scheme works the criminal does preliminary surveillance to make sure that the intersection is busy enough where drifting will occur because of the amount of traffic.

Another common auto accident scam is what is known as the Panic Stop. In this scheme the criminal drives a late model car filled with a lot of passengers. The criminal will then position himself in front of the victim and have one of the passengers look out the back window watching to see for any signs of distraction such as answering a cell phone call or changing a station on the radio. Any sign that the victim is taking his eyes off the road. Once this happens the passenger signals the driver who then slams on the brakes thus causing an accident. The victim will claim that the criminal stopped short for no apparent reason but usually to no avail. In the meantime the victim has to pay for all damages and injuries reported.

Unfortunately there is only one way to avoid these type of accidents and that is to be observant at all times and keep a safe distance from any vehicle ahead of you. The sad truth is, if all motorists would just obey the speed and distance laws and rules, accidents like these would never happen. But people drive too fast and too close and thus these type of frauds will always be pulled off. Drive safe and smart and your chances of being the victim of auto insurance fraud will be greatly diminished.

By: Michael Russell

Uninsured Auto Accident – Someone Hit Me and I Have No Insurance!

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:14:52 +0000

An uninsured auto accident can put in a very bad spot, even if you are not the person who caused the accident! If you are in California, the “don’t pay don’t play” law is in effect. If you do not carry liability
insurance, you cannot make a claim against the person that hit you. This includes bodily injury and property damage claims! You will be left at your own devices.

If you are not in California, then let me the first one to tell you: stop driving without insurance, go and get yourself a policy, please! You are increasing everyone’s premiums. However, this does not mean that insurance companies get a free pass. You need to learn how to protect yourself. You made a huge mistake, no question. Nevertheless, you need to learn how to protect yourself so you are not treated unfairly.

Insurance companies do not like people who do not have insurance (neither do judges, juries, lawyers, medical providers, nor the public in general). The insurance carrier will try to deny your claim and blame you for the accident. They will put “fault” on you! If the accident is clear (you were rear ended), then the insurance company will be more reasonable; however, if the persons that hit you denies or implies that they did not caused the accident, but you did. Then the insurance company has a duty (not optional) to believe their own client and send you a denial letter. Insurance companies are bound to believe their clients, so if the other driver does not admit fault, it will be up to you to fight back. Since you do not have insurance, you will have to learn the claim process and negotiate as if you were your own insurance adjuster. You need to be ready to settle your uninsured auto accident.

Remember that not having insurance does not mean you caused the accident. You need to separate the two issues and document your claim showing that you had no responsibility in the accident. The first step is to get a copy of the police report. You can go to the Police Records Office and request one. Some jurisdictions will give you a copy the same day. Some others will take up to two weeks. Once you get the police report, make sure you read it thoroughly. Make sure you ask the police records office for an overlay sheet or visit:http://www.auto-insurance-claim-advice.com/overlay-sheet.html to download one from your state.

You need to be looking at what contributory circumstances were attributed to you and the other driver. If there are no codes, or statements made by the officer citing you at fault, then you can point that out to the insurance company.

Read the police report and try to identify witnesses. You can contact them and see if they will be willing to give a statement. Many witnesses will help you if you were truly not at fault. Also look at the physical damages left on both vehicles. Is it even possible that the accident happened how the insurance company claims it did?

Write a letter to the insurance company and explain your position. How did the accident happen and what is your evidence. Give them a date line. If they do not answer, then proceed to file a small claims court
lawsuit. Most of the time, insurance companies will try to settle before you go to court. If they don’t want to settle, go in front of a judge and explain why you were not at fault. If your case is clear, then the insurance company must pay the judgment.

This is a difficult way to deal with your uninsured auto accident; it would be a lot easier if you had insurance in the first place. If you believe you are being “snowed” by the insurance company, consult with an attorney.

By: Hector Quiroga, J.D.

Get a Low Cost Auto Insurance Quote in Florida

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:38:21 +0000

Looking for a low cost auto insurance quotes in Florida? Here’s how to find the best quotes with the best companies.

Florida Auto Insurance Requirements

If you own a car in the state of Florida you are required to carry auto insurance, even if your car is inoperative. The minimum amount of insurance is:

1. $10,000 Personal Injury Protection – this coverage pays for expenses due to injuries regardless of who was at fault. PIP coverage applies to you, relatives who live in your home, passengers in your car, and anyone who drives your car. You are also covered if you’re hit by a car while walking or riding a bicycle.

2. $10,000 Property Damage Liability – this coverage pays for damages you or your family cause to other people in a car crash.

If you were involved in a prior auto accident you may be required to carry Bodily Injury Liability coverage in addition to the above coverages. This coverage pays for expenses due to injury or death to others when you, or family members living with you, cause an auto accident. It also pays for legal expenses if you’re sued by the injured party.

Additional Coverage

In addition to the required auto insurance coverage you may want to get the following coverages:

* Collision coverage – pays for damages to your car by another car or an object, regardless of who was at fault.

* Comprehensive coverage – pays for damage done to your car by vandalism, theft, fire, hail, and causes other than a collision.

* Uninsured/Underinsured coverage – pays for medical expenses and property damage costs for you, your family, and your passengers when caused by an uninsured, underinsured, or hit-and-run driver.

Get a Low Cost Quote

The easiest way to get a low cost Florida auto insurance quote is to comparison shop for insurance online. There are a number of sites where you can get quotes from different companies, compare quotes, then choose the best quote. Some of these sites even have a toll-free telephone number and a chat feature where you can talk with an insurance expert and get answers to you questions. (See link below.)

By: Brian Stevens

Easy Auto Insurance Online

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:52:44 +0000

Getting an insurance company to supply you with a realistic quote was once hard work but the internet has made things much simpler. Many web sites have been set up to give auto insurance premium comparisons including all the pertinent features of the insurance policy. Searching online for your auto insurance could save you a huge amount of money and a considerable amount of time in the process.

There are many factors involved in the cost of your auto insurance premium including, where you live, whether the vehicle is garaged and alarmed plus the cost of parts and the power to weight ratio. However, you can be sure that if you reside in the city, your auto insurance premium will be higher than someone who lives in the suburbs or out in the country. While getting auto insurance does add to your annual expenses, you can usually cover the cost of the premiums with convenient monthly payments.

Well before you current auto insurance policy expires, most experts agree, that is the time to get a free insurance quote form a new company. For those people that drive high risk sports vehicles, comprehensive auto insurance may be too expensive so looking at a more basic insurance policy might be worth your while. However, if you carry compulsory insurance and are judged to be at fault in an auto accident, your car insurance company will pay the medical bills and lost work time. Insurance cover with this type of policy also extends to the driver and passengers of both vehicles providing they are not related by blood to the driver that caused the accident.

When you switch is very important and the best time to switch to a new auto insurance company is when the current policy is about to expire. One thing to note though is not to cancel your policy from your old auto insurance company until the insurance is actually in effect with the new insurer. You would also be wise to check and see if you can reduce your insurance premium further by combining your home and auto insurance policies with the same company as many give discounts for this. Being aware of a few facts like these before you purchase your auto insurance can save you a great deal time and more importantly, money. Visit hubpages.com/hub/lowcost-autoinsurance

By: John Sandler