The only way to know the answer is to ask your car insurance representative or agent. Call the customer service number and let them know your plans. They may have had a bad record three years ago and are now clear, but what if they have other citations or tickets you don’t know about? It’s best to call and ask to be sure.

Your agent would be right if you continue to carry a registration on your car. You must have insurance to have a car registered. To be clear, you probably won’t be fined for not carrying insurance. Most likely, your registration will be revoked for failure to carry the minimum liability limits required by state law. You’ll then have to go through the headache of re-registering your car when it’s time to put it back on the road. The only way you could be fined is if you actually drove the car while it had no liability coverage. Understand that we NEVER recommend you go without liability coverage. That’s because things can go wrong with your car that you never anticipated. [Read More]

As long as the driver was not listed on your insurance, no, you’re rates shouldn’t go up because of the accident, especially with minor damage. That’s not to say your rates won’t go up at all. Fluctuations from year to year often leave consumers very suspicious about rate hikes the year after an accident happen. They assume rates will stay the same as long as nothing goes wrong during the year. That’s not the case. You really should check insurance rates every time your policy renews to make sure you’re getting the best rate. Insurance companies tend to get lax about offering the best price to consumers who have been with them a long time. While some do a good [Read More]

From the sound of your question, you don’t have collision coverage. First, you need the information on the car that hit yours. The insurance could be directly through the rental company, or the driver might have their own policy that covers them while driving the rental. Hopefully, you took down the name, address, phone number and insurance information on the person that damaged your car. If you didn’t, let’s hope the police did. Get a copy of the police report from the police station and see who the insurance company was so you know who to contact for a claim. If you don’t have any of this information and you don’t have collision, you are out of luck.

Legally, no. Wisely, yes! If the car is under repair and not being driven, there is no requirement that you have insurance on it. You must carry insurance if you register the car and put it back on the road. Now, why do I say it is wise to carry liability on a car that’s not on the road? I say it because life is unpredictable. Liability insurance on a car that doesn’t go anywhere is pretty cheap. The liability that comes along with the car slipping out of gear and running over a small child is very expensive. Any number of unforeseen events can cause harm to others and bankrupt you. It’s hard to understand how someone can afford [Read More]

You should not worry if a friend gets a citation while driving your car, except in the case of a red light camera violation. Citations follow the driver when the police officer pulls the car over and can identify who was driving. It has no effect at all on the owner of the car. Red light cameras are different because the cameras can only see the car’s license plate, not who is driving the car. The only way for states to make the cameras a viable option was to make an exception and allow any speeding infraction in the car to count against the owner.

This sounds like a question for the dealership. It is important you get this difference sorted out because there could be a difference in vehicle value for the LX versus the LXP. That could mean money out of your pocket if there is ever an insurance claim. If the insurance company records show that VIN as an LX, but all your documentation shows it is an LXP, you should make sure the agent or representative gets that information and get a written confirmation that they received it. That way, if they still charge you for only the LX and you have a total loss accident, you’ll still be able to make a valid claim for the correct vehicle package. Hopefully, [Read More]

Sounds like your sister is being a good daughter and a smart insurance consumer. It makes sense that she be the person to insure the car since she is the one who drives it. Understand that you can “never say never” when it comes to lawsuits. However, the only way the other person could successfully sue your parents in that situation is if one of them contributed in some way to the accident or injury. While it seems a very unlikely scenario, stranger things have happened. While I wouldn’t want to speculate on ways in which that could occur, you should know it is a remote possibility.

Adding yourself to the policy the day after an accident makes you look very suspicious in the eyes of the insurance company. It gives the appearance that you should have been listed on the policy, but were not. The only reason to add yourself is if you are a regular user and you live with your father, which of course, would mean your claim should be denied. If you really didn’t need to be listed, they should not deny your claim. The first step is to contact your state’s Attorney General and Insurance Department for help and advice. They will explain the procedures outlined to help consumers who find themselves in a fight against an insurance company. It’s likely your [Read More]

No, PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection and has nothing to do with damage to the car itself. It only pays for medical expenses related to injuries. However, you should be able to collect reimbursement for your travel expense when traveling to doctors appointments. Save taxi receipts and submit them for reimbursement.