Reader’s Question:

What happens if I drive my friend’s car but I do not have a drivers license in Montgomery, Alabama and got involved in an accident, will my friend’s insurance cover the accident? Does it matter if I was not given permission?

Tyrone

Montgomery, AL

It depend upon the terms of your friend’s auto insurance policy if the owner’s car insurance will cover the accident when the car was operated by a person without driver’s license in Montgomery, Alabama.

Generally an insurance carrier will cover those that you permit to drive the automobile. So if you borrows your friend’s vehicle normally your insurance follows the automobile and will be extended to any accident the driver may have while operating your car.

Yes, it matter if your friend has given you permission to operate the car or not. One of the requirement to an insurance carrier accepting a car insurance claim is that the driver of the automobile had permission to drive it. If you unknowingly takes your automobile without your friend’s permission then most often than not an insurance provider will not accept claims.

Tags: auto insurance claims, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

My girlfriend rear ended a vehicle last month month. She did not have car insurance in Montgomery, Alabama. The insurance carrier of the other driver sent her a bill of $10,000. I thought that this should go through the court system first?

Randy

Montgomery, AL

Since your girlfriend rear-ended a car then it would seem that the accident were her fault. Since she was driving without insurance at the time of the accident she is being held personally responsible for the damages she caused to the other driver.

The other driver appears to have made a car insurance claim with their insurance provider and was paid out for their damages in the amount your girlfriend is being billed for, the $10,000. The insurance provider is now charging your girlfriend for the monies they paid out, This is know as subrogation. They are permitted to do so since your girlfriend was at fault in the accident and thus can be held liable for the cost of the damages she caused.

The insurance provider can request that your girlfriend pay since she was at fault in an accident and does not have car insurance in Montgomery, Alabama and therefore does not have a car insurance provider to reimburse the other driver’s insurance carrier for the monies they paid out. If she does not pay then the insurance provider can then take her to court to seek a judgment against her. If your girlfriend chooses to ignore the payment request then the insurance carrier will likely take legal actions against her.

Tags: auto insurance claims, car insurance, driving without insurance

Reader’s Question:

Do you know any insurance companies in Alabama that do not use your credit score? It seems like your driving record means nothing anymore when your credit score is low?

Chris

Montgomery, AL

Not all insurance companies check credit score when an individual buys car insurance so you may be able to find one in Alabama that would not check your credit record for the credit score as part of their rating process.

If Insurance providers could find a rating variable that is more accurate than credit score, these insurance providers would readily use it. Credit scores have been one of the best predictors of high risk drivers, thus carriers have adopted them as a rating factor.

The best thing that you can do is to shop around for auto insurance quote in Alabama. You may find an insurance company that does not check or you might find that using credit record, as a rating factor will still provide you a competitive rate.

Reader’s Question:

I have a car in Alabama that I only use only during the winter to plow snow. Is there a car insurance that offer seasonal insurance? I will only be driving this car in Alabama 5 days a year probably.

Johnny

Montgomery, AL

Typically insurance carriers in Alabama do not insure cars for a short term or seasonal period only. Most Alabama insurance providers usually offer 6 month or 12 month policies and most states require cars to have continual insurance on them for the registration to stay current.

If you only operate the car a few days of the year you might want to lower the car insurance on the car for the rest of the year to the bare minimum and then put more insurance on it during the days that you operate it. The other options might be to turn in the registration and license plates and not carry car insurance on it except for when you drive it. You could do this by purchasing insurance and canceling it after the month or so in which you use the car. You will have to re-insure and re-register the vehicle in Alabama every year though.

Q: How often should I begin looking around for a new company to get a cheap SR22 quote from?

A: You should search for a new cheap SR22 quote, because rates are changing all of the time and when you’re paying so much for an SR22 policy, you can’t afford not to save money. Every time your car insurance policy is set to renew, go online and check through some car insurance quotes to see if you may be getting a better deal elsewhere. Do this at least once a year, but preferably every six months.

You should also search for a new cheap SR22 quote if something in your situation which may affect your car insurance premium changes. For example, your kid may have just turned 15 and will start training for his or her learner’s permit. You may be in the market for a new car, or you may have just been taken off the market for marriage. If you move to a new zip code or a new state, if you add some features to your car, and if you got a new job, you should begin looking. Maybe you just finished your degree program in college or recently retired. Or you could have just reached your 26th birthday. So many of these things will affect your car insurance policy, and so you should check whenever they change.

Q: Where can I live to get the cheapest SR22 insurance?

A: Well, it may be kind of extreme to move somewhere just to get the cheapest SR22 insurance, but I suppose it could help push your decision one way or another if you’re undecided, so why not?

The absolute cheapest place you can live if you want to get the cheapest SR22 insurance is on a farm. What? Yep, that’s right.There are two factors which come into play here. First of all, rural areas have the cheapest car insurance rates, period, simply because there aren’t very many cars or car thieves around. You’re more likely to get into an accident if you’re driving with a lot of other traffic. I guess they don’t consider the dangers of driving down a long, thin, deer occupied road at night with no lights but the ones on your car, but it works in your favor.

Another thing which factors into a farm being the cheapest place to live if you want the cheapest SR22 insurance is that many companies offer discounts to drivers, especially if they primarily or only use their vehicles on their farm, because, again, how likely is it you’re going to get into an accident? A mechanical breakdown, sure, but other than that? You’re good.

Q: I want to get my teenager a new car. How can I get the cheapestsr22 for the both of us?

A: Well, if I were you I would stay away from getting a teenager a brand new car, even if you’re not looking at it from the perspective that there’s no way you’re going to get the cheapestsr22 with a new car. However, even if that doesn’t worry you, the cost of insurance for brand new cars will. Remember that if you have to make payments on a car, your financer will require you to have collision and comprehensive car insurance coverage, which will make your rates rise. Your rates will also rise because a new car is more expensive to repair and replace.

When looking for a car with the cheapestsr22 insurance rates for a teenager, you should be checking out used cars instead. Not just some thirty year old piece of junk, but maybe a car that’s around five to eight years old. Something from early in the century, I would say. You might also consider a pre owned car, because these are usually of the same quality but lower prices than a brand new car. Make sure that for a teenager you get a mid sized car and a car which has good safety ratings. Safety ratings for teens is extremely important.

Q: I’m retiring and so I won’t have a steady income (other than Social Security, and who knows how long that will last). Is there some way I can save on my DMV SR22 filing?

A: Sure there is. As someone right on the edge of being middle aged and being a senior, you are already saving money on your DMV SR22 filing because you are in the least risky age group. Further, you can save more if your car insurance company has a discount for seniors or for retired people. Some have both, some only have one, but make sure you don’t get your policy with a company which has none.

You can also keep your DMV SR22 filing cheaper by taking care of yourself. When drivers begin to get older, car insurance companies want to see that they still retain all of their abilities when it comes to driving. You can take a driving course all over again and get a discount for it and keep your driving skills sharp. You can also make sure you have frequent doctor check ups for things such as your vision and reflexes.

A company exists for retired drivers where you may find better car insurance deals than elsewhere, too. It’s called Hartford AARP, and it’s very hard to get cancelled with them, so it’s possible you can do your DMV SR22 filing there.

Q: How can I get DMVsr22 insurance if I don’t even own a car?

A: If you don’t own a car, and you don’t drive, then you aren’t required to file a DMVsr22 at all. Although you may be used to using your driver’s license for identification purposes, you can use your state ID instead just as well. You will have to wait for most offenses three years before you are able to get your license back without being required to continue filing SR22 insurance.

Now, if you don’t own a car but you do drive, then you will need to file a DMVsr22, but it will be a non owners car insurance policy. A non owners policy provides you with coverage when driving all cars, unless the car is one which is registered in your name. Should you purchase a car for yourself, you’ll have to get regular insurance again.

Now, non owners insurance is a little pricey, but you only are able to get liability coverage, so you don’t even have the option to pay more for exta coverage. You can vary the amounts of liability coverage you have, though beyond that it’s static. Liability insurance is secondary coverage–if you are driving an insured vehicle, your insurance will not be used unless the coverage for that vehicle is not enough to cover injuries or damages.

Q: I have DUIsr22 insurance, but I don’t use my car very often. Is there some kind of savings I can get for that?

A: If you don’t often use your car, then there are several changes you can make to your DUIsr22 insurance policy in order to end up paying less on your premium. First thing I would do would be to review my coverage–if you aren’t on the road too often, then you may consider dropping your coverage down to the minimum liability which Alabama requires. Such an option may also work if your car is worth only a couple thousand dollars or less.

Another thing you should think about is asking if you qualify for a low mileage discount. You probably do, but check with your company and see. Most companies only ask that you have a yearly mileage of only 10,000 miles or less in order to qualify, although a few companies may have stricter requirements, such as a yearly mileage of 5,000.

If you carpool instead of drive your own car, there’s another way you may be able to get a discount on your DUIsr22 insurance, although it isn’t offered by quite as many companies.