Reader’s Question:

Does anyone here know how much I would pay for a ticket for driving with no insurance here in Corpus Christi, Texas?

Christie

Corpus Christi, TX

Hey, Christie of Corpus Christi, Texas. In Texas, like in most states, it is actually required for drivers to show some kind of proof that they can pay for any damages that they might cause in case they involve themselves in an accident. Most Texas drivers buy auto liability insurance for this purpose because this is actually the cheapest way. But the basic coverage may not be enough to guarantee enough financial protection for you and your car. The basic coverage in Texas is 20/40/15, which means that the law in Texas requires minimum coverage of $20,000 per injured person to a total of $40,000 for every person injured in an accident and $15,000 for the damages of property.

Now, when you buy an auto insurance policy, your insurance carrier will give you a proof-of-insurance card that you may show when asked by a law enforcement officer or if you’re going to register or renew your vehicle, or if you are getting or renewing your driver’s license or if you are having your car inspected.

If you are an uninsured motorist, and you are stopped by a traffic enforcement officer, Texas has corresponding penalties for this according to the state’s financial responsibility laws. For first offense, you may have to pay a fine of $175 to $350. The next convictions will be more of a hassle for you. You might pay from $350 to $1,000, and they could also suspend your driver’s license and impound your automobile.

So, Christie, I really suggest that you have your vehicle insured. It really comes in handy in times of need.

Tags: auto insurance, drunk driving insurance

Reader’s Question:

Hi, I’m from Phoenix, Arizona and I am a new driver and quite new to auto-insurance. Could someone explain to me what Liability coverage is?

Pam

Phoenix, AZ

Hi, Pamela, right? Let’s get the facts straight. Liability coverage is that piece of automobile insurance that is required by most states now. Most states– that means unless you’re a resident of some states like, from memory — Virginia, New Hampshire and Wisconsin, liability coverage will be a fact of life for you. Surely you won’t move states just to skip it, kidding. So how does liability coverage work? Liability coverage works to protect the car owner from accidents that are his or her fault. One article I read about it cleverly points it out that a driver’s good luck or clean slate won’t last forever.

Here are some basics for you to understand the concept. I’ll leave out the clutter. In Arizona, you’re required to have Bodily Injury Liability Coverage and Property Liability Coverage. Bodily injury coverage serves to pay for damages like medical bills, even funerals. Property Liability coverage, this one saves you from the pain of paying for damage to property caused by you. The state requires you go to have a minimum coverage of 15/30/10. What the heck do these numbers mean to you? Simply put, the first number represents $15,000 of bodily injury for one person with a cap of $30,000 (the second number) total for all the people injured. The last number just means you’re covered up to about $10,000 of property damage. If damages exceed the numbers…that will be a different story already.

Tags: auto insurance, Beginner car insurance, New Driver Insurance

Reader’s Question:

Hi. In between policies, I got hit by a car that was insured. Is it possible to charge my medical expenses and the repair of my car? This happened in Davenport, Iowa.

Dolores

Davenport, IA

What a lucky lady! You know what, Dolores, you should thank your stars you’re from Davenport, Iowa. Had you come from other states, you would have had a bigger problem. So, right now your one and only problem is if it is possible for the driver at fault who is fortunately insured to cover all your medical expenses and all the costs that the repair of the damages to your car will incur? That is an interesting question. First, I know that your apprehension is that the insurance policy of the driver that hit your car will not cover all your expenses because you are not insured yourself. Well, because you’re from Iowa, the state’s law protects you because it is not mandatory in Iowa to have a vehicular insurance. However,

I really hope you have liability coverage for bodily injuries and property damages because that’s the only requirement that the state of Iowa asks of its residents. As a matter of fact, even if it appears that you are at the losing end because of the absence of an insurance at the time of this accident, you sure can claim liability from the offending driver’s insurance policy because that’s how insurance works in general.

Tags: auto insurance claims, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

My wife just had her first accident, thank good nobody is hurt. At first I thought it was just a minor accident and the cost of damage for the repair is not that much. But now, I am thinking the other way around, after the repair shop in Chandler, Arizona AZ send us the quote it was such a price and the insurance adjuster provided lesser amount telling us that this is only the collision coverage can cover for. Whew! Any idea, what else can we do?

Rob

Chandler, AZ

Let me start first with your Collision auto insurance coverage in Chandler, Arizona AZ. It is a part of your total comprehensive auto insurance package. Now in your policy, if you can review it. It is agreed in there that the insurance company will carry all the damages and repairs but this is limited to the vehicle. There are times that the value of the vehicle is less than the cost of repair to the vehicle. Collision auto insurance covers the cost of damage and repairs but it doesn’t mean guarantee for replacement or replacement value.

The insurance adjuster only received the description of the damage of your car, he then seek for an estimate for repair of the said damage. Only that, it appears the estimates he had is lesser than the cost of repairs the shop provided to you. I think the amount that the insurance adjuster offered was correct.

The collision auto insurance coverage provided options for you. First, you can accept the offered amount go for the repair and shoulder the excess amount. Second, you can negotiate with your insurance adjuster, but if you are still unhappy with the outcome you can go to the third option. Third, file your complaint at the state insurance agency in Chandler, Arizona AZ. This agency will review your collision auto coverage and evaluate it with your insurance provider. Try to research online too for auto insurance options in your area. Insurance sites like this one will be able to route you to auto insurance rates comparison in your area.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance cost, car insurance quotes, collision insurance coverage

Reader’s Question:

My daughter has an SR-22 insurance in Houston,Texas. I would like know what we have to do to take it off.

Jason

Houston, TX

An SR-22 is a certificate of insurance in the state of Texas that show proof of automobile insurance with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) for the future, as required by law.

The insurance carrier notifies the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) if the car insurance policy is cancelled, terminated, or lapses thus if that happens appropriate enforcement action may be taken. The driving privilege or the drivers license will be suspended if a person is required to obtain an SR22 and there is no SR22 on file.

The form called the SR26 is filed by the company to cancel the SR22. So if your daughter is no longer required to carry an SR22 or the time period to carry this financial responsibility certificate is up already in Houston,Texas, she must inform her insurance company that she no longer needs to carry an SR22 so that it will be removed. Her insurance carrier will probably be needing some documentation that shows that she no longer needs to carry an SR22 insurance.She may be able to get this from the Department of Public Safety and show it to he insurance company so they can file a SR26.

Tags: auto insurance, sr22 insurance

Reader’s Question:

Can I operate any car with SR22 insurance with permission?

James

Baltimore, MD

Under most state and with most insurance company guidelines, yes, you can drive any car with permission as long as no exclusion applies even with an SR22.

But, if you have a non-owners SR22 then coverage is limited to your personal operation of a car not owned by you or any family member in the household.

You can shop around online for a quote on SR22 financial responsibility certificate.

For you to be able to obtain the general price for an SR22 financial responsibility certificate you need to get a quote. An SR22 generally costs an additional $15-$30 filing fee above and beyond your auto insurance premium rate.

Q: What kinds of SR22 proof of financial responsibility are there?

A: There are three main types of SR22 proof of financial responsibility which you can file, and those are

• Owner-operator: This means the car you drive is yours, and so you file your SR22 proof of financial responsibility with an otherwise normal car insurance policy. Owner-operator insurance is the cheapest available, although of course it depends on the options you choose.
• Operator: This means you drive, but you don’t own a car. Since with SR22 insurance you need to have an SR22 filed if you want to have your license back and drive legally, then you need to get operator insurance. Operator, also called non owners insurance, is pretty expensive.
• Owner: This kind of insurance usually applies to business owners–for example, if you own a car lot, or if you own a company which has company cars employees can drive, or a rental company with the rental cars. You’re unlikely to need SR22 insurance for one of these kinds of policies.

Q: Can I get SR22 insurance proof online?

A: You can order bananas online. Do you think SR22 insurance proof is out of reach? Definitely not. A lot of the bigger companies sell policies online, and that includes SR22 insurance. You may have to talk to an agent on the phone to hash out the more complicated ratings for SR22 insurance, but in the end, buying insurance online is just a click away. AND a lot of companies give you a discount if you do it this way–basically, they’re paying you to do all of this while you sit on your butt in your house.

Some companies file SR22 insurance proof, too. If you go this route, it’ll save you a lot of time, since filing SR22 forms through snail mail can take up to thirty days, whereas if you do it online, it’s more like forty eight hours. Even if everything concerning filing isn’t done online, some companies still save a lot of time by letting you print your SR22 insurance proof off of their website, sign it, and take it up to the DMV office yourself.

Q: How much does DUI financial responsibility cost?

A: A LOT.

Not specific enough? Okay, I’ll break it down. There are two (2) things about your DUI financial responsibility which will inflate your prices. One is that, unless you live in one of the lucky two states which don’t require them, you will have to pay an SR22 filing fee. These aren’t too bad–usually around $15 or $30, but you may see a rise in your premiums just because you have the word SR22 attached to your policy. That’s a four letter word for car insurance companies, literally and figuratively.

Secondly, well…you were convicted of driving drunk. If you expected your car insurance company to give you a parade when they found out you needed DUI financial responsibility, you have another thing coming. When you get SR22 insurance for a DUI, your costs often triple or quadruple, because you are so high risk.

You don’t have to panic. Yeah, DUI financial responsibility insurance is expensive, but you can still dig for quotes, raise deductibles, walk a lot, get discounts, and on and on if you want cheaper premiums.

Reader’s Question:

How much does an sr-22 cost?

Miguel

Thank you for asking Miguel.

The car insurance coverage bought that is associated with the SR-22 form will be rated depending on all factors that go into rating a policy, regardless of the SR-22 form filing. The insurance rates are not different if you are getting an SR-22 or not.

As for the actual SR-22 form, typically insurance providers are allowed to charge a nominal fee for filing the financial responsibility form (certificate) or sr22 to the state. State laws differ but typically the SR-22 form filing fee is only $15 to $25.

Your driving history is one of the rating factor in the cost of car insurance so the reason that you are mandated to obtain and carry the SR-22, such as reinstating your driving privelege after a DUI suspension, may affect your auto insurance premiums but the SR-22 form itself does not beyond the filing fee.

Goodluck!

MariCAR