Car Insurance

Why is it important to have your car registered? One reason is so that your car is legal to drive on the streets. All of the states in America require that your automobile to be registered with them. Caught without registration or expired registration on your vehicle will get you a penalty such as a fine or even worse. It can be confusing if it is your first time but this article will walk you through getting your car registered.

Registration is defined as a document that is evident of a person having paid the registration tax and fees on their motor vehicle. In most states this consists of a metal license plate, a validation decal and a registration certificate. Though laws vary from state to state these are basics on getting your vehicle registered.

In all states a motor vehicle is required by law to by registered within a certain amount of days of becoming an owner of a vehicle or of becoming a resident of that state. The amount of time can differ depending on the state but it can be as little as 10 days to as many as 30 days.

In most states registering your vehicle is as easy as filling out an application, if it is your first time, or paying an annual renewal fee. If it is your first time registering a car you will need to fill out a simple application and bring in a few legal documents. The documents might vary from state to state but usually include at least the vehicle’s title, proof of insurance and your driver’s license. The application typically requests you to fill in information about yourself, the vehicle and list any lienholders of the vehicle.

Once the application is filled out and you have the proper documentation in hand, such as proof your auto insurance, it as easy as going into the local DMV or tax collector’s office and presenting all these materials. At this point you should be able to register you car and either get metal plates or paper (temporary) plates.

Metal plates may be available when you register or might have to be sent to you in the mail. If you buy a car new from a dealership in many states they can issue you paper plates so that you can leave the dealership and go register the car.

Some states will require you to get new plates every few years, it seems to be around 5 years in most states. This is necessary so that plates do not become too dirty or corroded or lose their ability to reflect. All of these issues can cause visibility problems for law enforcement officers.

When you have registered your car you should have a metal license plate, a decal on which to affix to your license plate and a registration slip or receipt to keep in your car. When registering your vehicle you will have to pay a fee. In some states if you are registering a car for the first time there will be an initial registration fee. It will be as much as $100 or more typically but if you think about it, it is a bargain to get to use the state’s highway system on a daily basis. This total fee paid will vary by state and is due for the taxes on your motor vehicle for a specific period, 12 months in most states.

After the specified period is over you will need to renew your registration with your state. In some states the renewal date is your birthday to make it easier for you to remember each year. If you are uncertain to when your registration needs to be renewed the exact date should be listed on your registration slip.

A lot of states send out renewal notices to remind and give you an accounting of what you owe. If you do not receive a notice it is up to you to remember and pay on time. If you are found with expired registration you will get a penalty of a fine or possibly more depending on your state laws. The longer it takes you to renew your registration the larger the delinquent fee will become.

Once you have given your documentation to the DMV or tax collector’s office you should receive your registration and be on your way. It is as easy as that. Remember to pay your renewal fee when it is time and it should continue to be easy to have your car registered in the state in which you reside.

You were in an accident and that was hard enough but now you have to deal with the insurance company’s adjuster in order to settle the claim. It can take a lot of effort and be difficult in some instances. There comes a time to decide if you can settle the claim on your own or if you need to seek legal advice.

Before deciding on getting legal advice it is best to get all of your accident information organized. Knowledge is power and having all of your accident documents together gives you that. These documents should include the police report, witness statements, photographs of the accident scene and bodily injuries.

Add to these documents any medical reports plus medical bills. You will want the estimates for your car damage as part of your information packet as well. This information can not only help you settle your claim but if you chose to get legal advice help the lawyer to plead your case.

Before jumping right into finding a lawyer you can try to deal with the insurance adjuster yourself if you have the time. With your information packet gathered you will have an easier time discussing the claim. Some adjusters are easy to deal with than others. If you get one that is reasonable it is quite possible to negotiate out the settlement without any outside involvement.

Part of your negotiations will be to make sure that your damaged car is repaired properly with quality parts. If the car is totaled you will want to make sure you are getting paid a fair amount for it. If you have damages above and beyond this, such as bodily injury, you might have to fight a little extra to get a decent settlement.

You will not only want to get paid for your medical bills in hand but any future medical invoices that will come about because of the accident. If any of the injuries were severe you will also want to get paid for pain and suffering. The rule of thumb for this is three times your medical bills. That is why you want to make certain you have a good accounting done of the bills so that you are not short-changed.

Once you have tried negotiating with the insurance company or adjuster and feel like you are getting no where it might be time to seek legal advice. This step is usually taken after you have exhausted all ways of negotiating a fair deal on your own. It might be possible when you mention getting a lawyer to the insurance company that they will be more willing to negotiate a settlement before this happens. You might discuss with the adjuster the possibility of hiring an attorney being actually doing so to see if this happens.

The advantage of getting legal counsel is that most lawyers that take this type of case are very familiar with the ins and outs of insurance laws and will be able to get you a better settlement than what you could get on your own. The drawback is that part of the settlement is then paid out to the lawyer. In my experience the lawyer for an insurance settlement case for a car accident takes about thirty-three and one third of the total sum you settle for. The lawyers do generally try to settle high enough that you still come away with more money than you would have if you negotiated on your own, even after they take their part.

Getting a lawyer is usually the last resort of negotiating with an insurance company’s adjuster. In many circumstances it is necessary to get legal advice, so do not feel like a failure because you could not settle on your own. Putting the negotiations in the hands of a lawyer can lead to a good settlement without all the hard-to-handle phone calls with the adjuster you would have had to go through.

Settling an auto accident insurance claim can either be done on your own or by seeking legal advice. Only you know which method is best for you. Either way you decide get your documents organized and in order so you or the lawyer can present the best case possible to the insurance adjuster.

Most every state in the United States requires a certain amount of auto insurance on a vehicle and/or driver. Beyond the mandated coverages there are optional coverages that can help protect yourself and your vehicle. If you do not need the coverages on your current car, it is still wise to know what coverages are available to you if you change vehicles or want to upgrade your auto insurance coverage. Let us take a look at what optional coverages are available to motorists with cars registered in the state of Florida.

Florida law only requires a motorist to purchase personal injury protection (PIP) and property damage liability (PDL). A minimum of $10,000 PIP and $10,000 PDL insurance is mandated to be placed on a motor vehicle in Florida. Other coverages are optional, unless the FL Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles requires you to meet certain financial obligations by purchasing more coverage.

The types of optional insurance available in Florida include: · Bodily Injury Liability· Collision· Comprehensive· Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury· Medical payments· Travel Protection Plan· Hospital Indemnity· Towing· Rental reimbursement· Accidental Death and Dismemberment

Not all insurance companies will offer all of these optional coverages but many offer a number of them. Florida law prohibits an insurance company from mandating you to buy these additional types of coverage, even though many of them offer you more protection for your car or you and your passengers. However, your financial lender or lien holder may require you to carry collision and comprehensive coverage if you have financed your vehicle.

The optional coverages most often chosen by car owners to add extra protection on a vehicle are collision and comprehensive. Collision coverage pays for repair or replacement of your vehicle if it collides with another vehicle, flips over or crashes into an object. This is regardless of fault.

Comprehensive coverage pays for losses from incidents other than a collision. This includes things such as fire, theft, vandalism, hail or windstorm. It also typically covers damages caused by falling objects or hitting an animal. Both Collision and Comprehensive covers have a deductible amount attached to them that must be paid first when making a claim. This deductible amount is decided upon at the start of the policy.

Bodily Injury Liability (BI) pays for death or serious and permanent injury to others when you are legally liable for an accident involving your motor vehicle. Your insurance company pays for injuries up to the limits of your policy and provides you with legal representation if you are sued personally. Your policy may or may not cover others who drive your car with your permission.

Uninsured/Underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) bodily injury pays for injuries to you, your family and other people in your vehicle if they are caused by the negligence of an uninsured or underinsured motorist. UM coverage typically pays for medical expenses and lost wages that you and your passengers may incur after the accident.

Medical Payment is a type of optional coverage that pays for medical expenses for accidental injury, up to the limit of your policy. It covers medical expenses for you, your family members or passengers, regardless of fault so this makes it different than the BI coverage. Medical payment insurance covers you whether you are in your own vehicle or someone else’s automobile.

Towing and road service is an additional item that some insurance companies sell with insurance policies. Read the towing policy carefully though because some insurance companies can cancel your policy if you have too many towing claims, even if you did not have any accidents.

Rental reimbursement is another additional item that goes beyond car insurance. With this coverage, you may receive reimbursement for an auto rental up to a specified limited amount. It applies if you get into an accident with your own vehicle and it can no longer be driven until it is repaired.

If another driver causes the accident, the at-fault party’s liability coverage may reimburse you for renting a vehicle so check with their coverage before using your own. You usually have to purchase collision coverage on your automobile before you can get rental reimbursement on it.

Other optional coverages may be available to you but before purchasing any, find out what you are receiving. If you live outside of Florida many or all of these coverages are likely also available to you, so check with your insurance agent. For more information on insurance coverage terms and definitions try searching the CarInsurance.com Learning Center.

The are many scary things in this world. Buying insurance for your first time should not be one of them. In the next few paragraphs, I will offer some tips which will hopefully remove the fear of first time auto insurance buying.

First, you should research the definitions of the types of coverage out there. An educated decision is usually a good decision. Sometimes people experience problems comprehending definitions from a manual. If you are this type of person you might want to find out if any of your family members or friends are in the insurance industry. They may be able to do an adequate job familiarizing you with the insurance terms or definitions.

After familiarizing yourself with the types of coverage, plan to give yourself enough time to shop for the right types of coverage with the right company at the right price. When you wait to the last moment, you run the risk of not being able to purchase the types of coverage you desire.

Without planning enough time to call around and compare the rates for the types of coverage which you desire, you also run the risk of purchasing your coveted insurance at a higher rate. Also, companies vary in their service in which they offer their customers. Some companies offer some flexibility when you look to change your insurance coverage in the future as your needs change. You may end up compromising these when you do not give yourself enough time researching the various insurance companies that are out there.

Now that you have researched the types of insurance coverage that are out there to prepare you for an educated decision and you have allocated enough time to execute this to your advantage, you need to determine your insurance needs. A licensed insurance agent can be a good aide in helping you assess your insurance needs; however, determining your insurance needs will be up to you.

Following are some of the questions you will need to answer. Do want extra medical coverage for the party in the other vehicle? Are you looking for only what the state requires to cover your tag? Is your vehicle so old that you need towing coverage? Or, does a lien holder own your vehicle, and as a result, you need extra coverage for your vehicle? Is there more than one driver who needs to be insured on your policy?

Since you have assessed the types of coverage you need, you now need to determine how much insurance to purchase. Always purchase as much insurance as you can afford.

Does it make sense to purchase the most insurance possible, and as a result, your policy cancels in 90 days because you cannot afford the monthly payments? On the other hand, does it make sense to purchase the least amount of insurance types of coverage possible when you can afford more? If you currently cannot afford the types of coverage you desire, some companies allow you to ‘upgrade’ your policy (increase the types of coverage) in the future.

There is another thing to consider when you are determining how much insurance types of coverage you can afford. If you are currently financing the cost of a vehicle, or you are going to purchase a vehicle and you are going to finance its cost, there is a good chance your lien holder will require you to carry comprehensive and collision types of coverage. These types of coverage help protect the lien holder financially if something happens to the vehicle; however, the cost of these types of coverage may keep you from affording other types of coverage which you covet.

Again, purchasing insurance for the first time should not be intimidating. To keep it from being intimidating, remember the previous tips. Educate yourself with the types of coverage. Allocate enough time to give you the best possible results. Determine your needs. Finally, purchase as much insurance as you can afford.

Most people only think that insurance is something they need so they can get their registration and tag so they can drive. It is something that they need because their license will be suspended if they don’t get it. It’s just a bother to some because people think “I don’t get into accidents, I am a careful driver.”

Often times people will call for insurance and say give me the cheapest insurance or give me only what is required. Many people don’t even know what this insurance coverage this is. A lot of people only really become aware of what coverage they have when they need it, like when they need to make a claim.

When you run into that stopped car or have someone sideswipe your car in a parking lot while you are shopping, suddenly having only the coverage is required by law may not be the best thing to have. You should always have as much insurance as you can afford to carry. Having too little is never good and if you have insurance you cannot afford is not any better. A policy that is cancelled due to non-payment does you no good at all.

Lets take a look at the state I am familiar with - Florida. Florida is a no-fault state. What does this mean? Well, if you have the proper state required coverage you will be protected by the no-fault law. If you are in an accident whether you are at fault or not at fault you will go through your own personal injury coverage for your medical expenses for the first $10,000. If you do not have at lease state minimum insurance then you will not be protected and may be subject to paying for the injuries of the other people you hurt in the accident.

There are many types of coverage to purchase and meet your insurance needs. Every coverage has a purpose and all are good to get.

Florida state minimum insurance is Personal Injury Protection and Property Damage. Personal Injury Protection or P.I.P. covers your medical, hospital and funeral expenses up to its limits. It also covers others in your vehicle and pedestrians struck by your car. You are covered for up to $10,000. There also may be a deductible. This can be 0, 250, 500 or 1000 deductible. A $1000 deductible being the minimum in Florida.

Property Damage liability covers if your vehicle damages another person’s property. This could be their car, house, motorcycle, etc. Limits for this are $10,000, $25,000 or $50,000. The Minimum in Florida is $10,000.

Another valuable coverage is Bodily Injury Liability. Bodily Injury covers other people’s injury or death that you are responsible for up to the limits you purchase. This is not required by Florida for state minimum insurance, but it would satisfy another law called the Financial Responsibility law. This law states that if you are not financially responsible at the time of and at fault accident where someone gets injured or property damage occurs, your license may be suspended. At this point you may be able to get your license back by filing an Sr-22. This form shows to the state you are now carrying Bodily Injury Coverage and are now financially responsible. Usually you must carry this for 3 years with no lapses in coverage.

Another common insurance people ask for is Full Coverage. This is not an insurance coverage and means a different thing with every company you call. Most people only know that their car dealer or bank wants Full Coverage so they ask for it. Comprehensive and Collision is what these companies are looking for. Collision covers repairs when your vehicle hits or is hit by another vehicle. If it is destroyed it will also pay up to the book value of the vehicle at the time of a loss. Comprehensive covers for loss caused by other circumstances other than a collision. Some examples are theft, flood, fire or animal damage. This will also cover total losses up to the book value of the vehicle.

Other types of coverage available are medical and Uninsured Motorist. Medical covers medical costs to you and your passengers injured in an accident. Uninsured Motorist covers injuries to you and your passengers when the other person in the accident is at fault but does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance.

These are just some of the basics about the insurance there is more detailed information about each coverage out there that you can find. But this information should give you a good idea about what type of coverage you might need to research more or be ready to purchase. Knowing the basics is your first step on making smart purchasing decisions!