Car Insurance

Car insurance is one of the most important types of insurance that you can get. If you are going to drive anywhere, then you are most likely required by law to have at least a minimal amount of car insurance. Once you are required to have that minimal amount, you might as well make sure that you get enough insurance to cover most of the possible things that could happen to you or your car while you're driving.
There are several things to consider when you are looking for car insurance. The first is what amount you're required to have by law - though usually you will get that information when you register your new vehicle and get your license plate. The second is that you should make sure that you know exactly who needs to be insured for your car.
Essentially, when you insure your car, most insurance policies want to know who is going to be driving it, and what their driving record is like. Then, depending on the driving records of the people you intend to put on your car insurance policy, the price may fluctuate. For this reason, you may want to limit the number of people you insure for your car, or limit who gets to drive it. This is another reason why you should be careful with your driving record. Serious violations can cause your car insurance rates to go up.
Most car insurance companies will give you a quote if you ask, and it is a good idea to get several quotes before you make your decision. Insurance is an important thing to shop around for because there are a lot of different factors that can differ from one insurance company to another.
Luckily, you can even get quotes from insurance companies that may or may not have a branch located near you. Most major insurance companies now have online sites which can give you a quick quote, or can direct you to a live person to get a more in depth insurance quote. If the company does not give quotes through its site, then you should be able to at least find a phone number to call for more information.
While car insurance may be expensive, in the end, it is almost always worth it. Just remember to look at several different companies before making a decision - and think about getting more than just the minimum amount of insurance.

Are You Insured To Drive Any Car

Many motorists have long benefited from the ?drive other cars? clause most insurers have included in their policies. This means that it is legal to drive a vehicle that does not belong to you, with the owner?s permission, and that you will be insured. Generally you are able to drive another person?s car if you are insured fully comprehensively but will be insured on that car third party fire and theft. A leading insurer, Norwich Union, has now changed its car insurance policy and will not cover people to drive cars for which they are not directly insured. The ?drive other cars? clause that has been included in most policies for years, has now come under the spotlight and motorists have been advised to check with their own insurance company before they borrow someone else?s car.
The benefit of being able to drive another person?s car depends upon a variety of factors not least whether the individual insurer allows this. Other factors include the age of the driver; they often have to be over 25, and the driver?s record. For example if the driver has made several claims and also has penalty points then they may not be covered to borrow someone else?s car.
Norwich Union is removing this option to drivers as it says that too many people are using it as a scam to reduce the cost of their car insurance. The ?drive other cars? clause is also seen by police to be a hindrance in overcoming the issue of uninsured drivers. This might be seen as a setback by many law abiding drivers who have been able to use someone else?s car in an emergency, such as taking someone to hospital. However, many dishonest drivers abuse the system by buying low cost car insurance for a small car and then borrowing high powered performance cars belonging to friends. These are cars that they would never normally be able to drive. Because of this new restriction insurers believe that dishonest behaviour will be curbed.
Other car insurance companies thought to be following suit include AA, Cornhill Direct, Royal & Sun Alliance and Axa. These changes are being made as a result of suggestions by the Department of Transport who feel that phasing out the clause will prevent uninsured drivers from getting an easy ride.
Paul Jenson from Hoot Car Insurance Services www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk has this to say to drivers who are worried that they might not be insured:
?It?s always best to check that you are insured on another person?s car before you borrow it. In the past, more often than not, it?s been acceptable to drive your mate?s car but now many insurers are phasing this option out. You can have you name put on another person?s car insurance policy very cheaply so if you want to regularly drive your girlfriend or boyfriend?s car or your Mum doesn?t mind you borrowing hers, then you can do so legally. Insurance companies will also be lenient on people who have a genuine emergency, for example if they need to get to hospital quickly and the only car available belongs to someone else.?

Auto Accident Factoids

Accidents, personal injuries and insurance claims are here to stay. No matter how far into the 21st Century American?s elect to drive (unless by the beginning of the 22nd Century we?re all zipping around in our own personal space ship) motor vehicle accidents will continue to pile up; with no end in sight!
There are more than 200,000,000 licensed drivers in the United States. (As of 2003 we?re close to a yearly 7 million motor vehicle accidents, involving well over 3.5 million injuries).
Car accident crashes cost society an estimated $4,900 per second. That?s about $25,000 in the time it took to read this fact.
Current records show that most American driver?s will have a near motor vehicle accident 1 to 3 times per month and will be in a collision of some type on the average of every 5 to 8 years plus these records also indicate that licensed teenagers are 22 more times likely to get a speeding ticket than those who are 65 years of age or older.
In 1896 there were only four cars registered in all the United States. Two of them collided with each other in St. Louis.
By the year 2025 there will be 33 million people 70 years or older in America. This segment of the population will be growing 2.5 as fast as the total population. They will make up the largest percentage of the ?turning left? and ?rear end? accidents. Slowly but surely Senior Citizens have developed a higher accident ratio than teenagers. (This will, in time, seriously impact the typical Senior Citizen?s pocketbook). And also, by 2025, the total costs for motor vehicle accidents in the United States will exceed 450 billion dollars.
The world?s most solitary tree is located at an oasis in the Tenere Desert in Central Africa. There?s not one other standing tree within 31 miles. In 1960, it was smashed into by a truck.
Up-to-date statistics clearly reflect that 1 out of every 5 Americans are involved in an alcohol-related car crash at some time in their lives and the day in which motor vehicle accident injuries occur most often is Saturday. Sunday is second.
FIVE CRUCIAL MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE SLOWLY BUT SURELY COME TO PASS. THESE WILL SERIOUSLY (AND FOREVER) IMPACT THE VALUE OF PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS IN THE YEARS TO COME:
Records prove that a motor vehicle accident of as little speed as 5 MPH can produce a ?whiplash-type? injury.
The symptoms arising from an injury sustained in a motor vehicle accident do not necessarily present themselves immediately following an accident.
Medical research and clinical experience have accumulated enough information to demonstrate that the delay of an injury symptom is the norm.
Studies have established that the delay of a symptom does not eliminate the possibility of severe injury.
It?s been proven that individuals can continue to be symptomatic for many months (even years!) after a motor vehicle accident. In addition approximately 75% of them remain symptomatic for a minimum of 6 months after the accident. (And current up-to-date statistics reveal that between the first and second year after an accident has occurred over 20% of those injured actually have their symptoms worsen).
Copyright (c) 2003 by Daniel G. Baldyga. All Rights Reserved
DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this article, MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT FACTOIDS has been created to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process
Dan Baldyga makes no guarantee of any kind whatsoever; NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, or claims consultant, or the like. Where such professional help is desired it is the INDIVIDUAL?S RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.
Dan Baldyga worked for over 30 years as an insurance adjuster, supervisor, manager and trial assistant. Since his retirement he has written 3 highly successful ?How To? Insurance Claim books. His latest: AUTO ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE CLAIM (How To Evaluate And Settle Your Loss) which includes BASE, The Baldyga Auto Accident Settlement Evaluation Formula for determining the value of ones ?Pain And Suffering?, can be found on the internet at http://www.autoaccidentclaims.com.

Buying Car Insurance

Automobile insurance is an increasing expense for almost all Americans. We can’t afford to have it, and we certainly can’t afford to NOT have it. When researching car insurance companies and comparing policies, it is a good idea to follow these easy guidelines to get the most coverage for your insurance dollars.
Get discount car insurance quotes from as many carriers as you can. Automobile insurance rates may vary drastically depending on the model of your car and the type of coverage you need. Consider as high a deductible as you can reasonably afford, since higher deductibles translate into lower insurance premiums. Review quotes and policies carefully to make sure you are only paying for coverage you really need. If you have homeowner insurance, ask your agent if you are covered already for certain items you might be charged again for on your auto policy.
After you have gotten quotes from different car insurance carriers, it is usually a good idea to create a spreadsheet to help you avoid comparing apples to oranges. Set up a scenario with car repairs and medical expense to best compare the coverage differences under real-life situations.
Once you have chosen the two least expensive automobile insurance policies for the coverage you need, contact a reputable body shop in your area for a referral. Automobile body shops deal with insurance companies every day, and you want to make sure the company you send your premiums to each month will be responsive and fair if you have to make an insurance claim. The body shop probably has a good insider opinion on how the insurance company operates, how long it takes to get an adjuster to view the damaged vehicle, how long it takes to get paid on a claim, how fair the estimate was, were used parts requested versus brand new parts and so on.
Trust me, a ten minute talk with a reputable body shop manager can reveal a lot of great information about an insurance company and how they tend to handle their claims. A few dollars difference in premium dollars to get coverage from a company that handles their claims properly may save you a world of hassle in the event of an automobile accident.

Car Insurance Companies Ask Complete Truth From Consumers

Statistics from car insurance companies have it that around 10% of all motorists and car owners do try to change vehicle statistics and blatantly lie so much so that they could get the whole insurance quite cheaper. However, even though one may get a cheaper quite, there are insurance specialists like Admiral who have started their information campaign that tells all drivers who would like to get cheaper quotes by saying something that is not the truth may have to face greater penalties than they may have expected.
What could happen if you lie about the information on your vehicle? Admiral says when they do check all those cars and car owners who have bought car insurance policies, they are not that surprised to find people who would give false information about their vehicles and driving styles. And when the company has proven that they are outright lies, what they do is they cancel the insurance without sending back the money to the person who purchased the car insurance.
Sue Longthorn is the managing director for Admiral and she expresses, "Some people think that by telling a small lie they can get a cheaper quote. In reality they are committing fraud. An insurance policy is a legal contract so its vital that you are honest, or that contract can be claimed invalid and cancelled."
What do people lie about? Admiral says that one of the top things that people lie about is their motoring convictions. They claim that they are good drivers and are totally far from accidents. However, it is important to note that if you have had any kind of motoring conviction during the last five years, it is essential that you disclose this to the company where you are purchasing that car insurance.
If you have modified your vehicle, you must also tell your car insurance agent about it. You see, when you do change something on your vehicle like perhaps adding a Hypertech programmer, the computations could change for your quote. Some modifications could ask you to pay a lower price while some may ask you to add some more cash for whatever change you did to your vehicle poses a much higher risk compared to standard vehicle models.
"Insurance companies have become much better at finding out if motorists are lying, and we have a number of ways of investigating anyone we think might not have told the truth. We are not trying to catch people out, but people must realize they have to be honest with their insurer. They might think a little white lie is harmless, but it could end up costing them a lot more in the long run," ends Longthorn.