auto insurance claims, geico claims

Stay safe, get cheap car insurance and avoid paying the $750 crash tax.

Jorge Posada : My teen friend got involved in a highway accident and had to pay $750/ ? Why?

Response : Yes, Jorge, as per the report given below the regulations are changing. Everyone wnats you to pay, if you are not a safe driver. Get your cheap car insurance quote here or compare teen auto insurance quotes if you have not. You need to save money and that is the key in this economy- to save money, make money and let your money earn for itself. 

Report on why you need to pay $750 crash tax. 

Far too many states are not doing enough to protect motorists, says a prominent group that focuses on driving dangers and pushes for laws to curb them.

Too many states fail to restrict texting on cellphones, or do not require the use of seat belts and motorcycle helmets, according to the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety “2012 Roadmap to State Highway Safety Laws.”

The report draws on statistics and information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among other government agencies.

“Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for all Americans between the ages of 5 and 34 — every day, 90 people in this country don’t make it home and needlessly die on our roads and highways,” said Jacqueline Gillan, the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety’s president, at a recent press conference. “We have the solutions (to reduce) highway deaths and injuries and costs. Unfortunately, many of these safety laws are simply not considered an urgent priority by our elected leaders and end up in the legislative graveyard.”

‘Crash tax’ of $750 per person for insurance and medical services

Mark Rosekind, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said at the press conference that there were 5.4 million crashes in 2010, with 32,885 deaths and more than 2.2 million injuries. The accidents, he added, cost the nation about $230 billion in medical services,  auto insurance , health insurance, emergency services and other associated expenses.

This is equivalent to a “crash tax” of more than $750 for every person, according to the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

“The numbers are staggering,” Rosekind said.

In pushing for lawmaker action, the “2012 Roadmap” report makes several key points, including:

Texting – The NHTSA says there were 3,092 deaths in 2010 related to distracted driving, including text messaging. “Crash risk is dramatic — as much as four times higher — when a driver is using a mobile phone, with no significant safety difference between hand-held and hands-free phones observed in many studies,” according to the report, which points out that 18 states do not restrict texting. Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Though it’s not just teens texting, crashes involving teen drivers cost $42 billion annually.

Seat belts – There were 22,187 passenger deaths in accidents in 2010; 51 percent of the victims did not wear seat belts, according to the NHTSA. Further, the safety advocacy group notes that “deaths and injuries that result from non-use of seat belts cost society an estimated $60 billion annually in medical care, lost productivity and other injury-related costs … society bears 74 percent of the cost through increased insurance premiums, taxes and health care costs.” Eighteen states do not make seat belts mandatory: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Motorcycle helmets – In 2010, 4,502 motorcyclists were killed and 82,000 injured. Head injuries cause most deaths in motorcycle crashes, according to the Brain Injury Association of America, which adds that helmets can cut fatalities by as much as 37 percent. Helmets are believed to have saved more than 1,480 lives in 2009, according to federal figures. The CDC says motorcycle deaths and injuries cost $12 billion annually in hospital and other expenses. Eleven states do not require helmets: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

How they rate: States graded for safety law adoption

Among the 15 model laws Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety evaluated in its 2012 report (available at www.saferoads.org) are seat belt, booster seat and motorcycle helmet measures, in addition to restrictions and requirements for teen drivers, texting bans and tougher impaired driving laws.

In this year’s report, states were given one of three ratings based on how many of the 15 optimal laws they have: green (good); yellow (caution – state needs improvement); and red (danger – state falls dangerously behind). Placement in one of the three ratings was based solely on whether or not a state had adopted a law as defined in the report, and not on any evaluation of a state’s highway safety education or enforcement programs.

In 2011, two states – Maine and Rhode Island – improved their rating from yellow to green. North Dakota and Pennsylvania upgraded from red to yellow. In all, the District of Columbia and 17 states were rated in the highest rated category of green. States in the green category were California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington.

The states with the worst rating of red are Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming. All other states received a yellow rating indicating caution because there was a need for improvement due to gaps in traffic safety laws.

Car insurance takes a hit with high accident rates

Beyond the human toll and predicted rises in medical expenses and health insurance, there are car insurance repercussions when roads are not safe. Fewer safe highways lead to more accidents, which in turn lead to higher premiums for many drivers.

Depending on the collision, a driver’s overall record and other factors associated with an accident, your coverage could rise by 40 percent or more, according to Consumer Reports in its 2010 “Money Adviser” issue. A 2008 study by Insurance.com showed that the average annual policy could increase from $157 to $458, depending on the accident.

How to avoid letting your teen driver become a crash test dummy?

Response : Hey, Johnny, you I think are in a better position to guide your son and us all for this. Teen safety is very important – more than getting cheap teen auto insurance. Here are some clues- will appreciate if you would add your own points to them.

The first 30 days solo behind the wheel are the most dangerous for teen drivers, who are 50 percent more likely to crash during that time than they are after a year of experience on the road, according to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

They’re also twice as likely to get into a wreck in that first month as they are after two years of driving on their own, the study says. The most common mistakes causing an accident during the first month in which teens were at least partially responsible include speeding, not paying attention and failure to yield.

Teen drivers are inexperienced, which often equates to high teen car insurance rates or young drivers car insurance for parents. But fortunately, teens learn fast.

The AAA study analyzed specific types of collisions in relation to how long the driver had been licensed and found that some types of crashes significantly decreased as experience increased. For instance, wrecks involving left-hand turns were common during the first few months, but declined almost immediately thereafter, according to the study.

“We know that young drivers’ crash rates decrease quickly as they gain experience. What our new study tells us is that there are a few specific abilities that we could do a better job of helping teens develop before they begin driving independently,” Peter Kissinger, AAA Foundation president and CEO, said in a statement.

Car accidents are the leading cause of death among teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths for this demographic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Teen Driver Safety Week kicks off this week, with the theme this year focusing on ways to help parents teach their teens to drive.

“This research serves as a great reminder for parents to stay involved in the learning process even after the law allows teens to drive without a parent in the car,” Kissinger said in a statement. “Continued parent engagement can help teens gain needed driving experience and shape their habits for a lifetime of safe driving.”

There are a few tips parents can use to help inexperience teen drivers stay safe, says Bill Wade, national program manager of Street Survival, a group that teaches teen driving safety. Tips you can use include:

Limiting the number of passengers your teen is allowed to have in the carContinuing to chaperone practice driving sessionsInstructing your teen to wear a safety belt Prohibiting your teen from driving at night

Many states already set limits on new teen drivers by enacting graduated driver’s license rules that include curfews and passenger limits, Wade says. However, parents still need to be vigilant. 

“For a 16-year-old driver, the incident rate goes up 35 [percent] when there’s another 16-year-old in the car, and when there are two passengers that age, it goes up 70 percent, so things like limiting passengers, these things are important,” says Wade. “These kids are not drinking, they’re not necessarily doing anything wrong, they’re just 16-year-olds driving.”

Johnny, your views would be appreciated.

Thanks and do not forget to get your cheap teen auto insurance quote here.

Cars strike more than 1 million deer each year, mostly during the fall mating season. Each of those collisions represents about $3,100 in damage to vehicles, according to insurer State Farm.

These are the most common questions readers have submitted about deer-vehicle collisions and car insurance coverage.

To be covered for a run-in with a deer, you need to have comprehensive coverage as part of your car insurance policy. Although the accident with the deer wasn’t your fault, your comprehensive deductible amount will be due.

You might think a deer strike would be covered by collision, since this coverage normally covers when your car has an impact with another vehicle or object; however, contact with animals (wild or domestic) is specifically listed as a loss covered by “other than collision” or comprehensive coverage on policies normally.

If you have a liability-only policy, then you should know that your policy doesn’t cover your vehicle for any damages it receives in an accident with a deer or of any other object since a liability policy covers the damage you do unto others and not your own vehicle.

Read more: If I have liability only, am I covered for a deer collision?

When you make contact with a deer, your claim is filed under comprehensive coverage; however, if you swerve to miss a deer and crash, it is a collision claim.

Although it may have been a deer that started the chain of events that led to you to crash the car, if your vehicle didn’t actually have contact with the animal, then it isn’t a comprehensive claim. If you collide with another car or an object (such as a guardrail or tree) or roll your vehicle, then you need to make the claim for your damages under your collision coverage.

Read more: If I dodge a deer and wreck my car, am I covered?

No. Presently, there aren’t any states that will pay for repairs to your vehicle, or even your deductible, if you hit a deer. Yes, your state may have an agency to manage the deer population, but it’s not as if they can prevent deer from running into the roadway; especially during mating and migration season.

There have been a few states where proposals have called for the state to pay for damages, or a set amount like $250, to a car owner after his vehicle has been hit a deer.  So far, none of these bills has been passed into law.

Read more: Will the state pay my deductible if I hit a deer?

In general, car insurance companies don’t require you to get a police report to file a comprehensive claim for running into the deer, but it’s advisable to get one anyway.

Having a police report backing up your claim that your car’s damages were due to contact with a deer will help you be able to place this claim under your comprehensive coverage. If the claims adjuster is not able to validate your claim that you hit a deer, there is the possibility that the claim may end up under your collision coverage instead.

Even if your insurance provider doesn’t require a police report, your state may require a police or crash report be filed for accidents where there is any injury, or property damage above a certain amount.

Read more: Do I need to report a collision even if I don’t have a claim?

Comprehensive claims, such as one for hitting a deer, don’t typically increase your car insurance rates. However, with many companies, if you file a certain number of claims within a specified period your rates can go up. So, if you already have had a few auto insurance claims in the past few years with your car insurance company, then this one could push your premiums higher due to the amount of claims you’ve made in total, not just this specific claim.

Do you have in a car accident? You have much stress, dealing with submission of your claim with your car insurance company, always have your car repaired, and development information with the other party the collision involved. But the biggest shock may be yet to come: most of the riders, the fault in a car accident are find their premiums rise as much as 30% (for only an accident) after the incident.

That is to see a price hike in your premium often is hard to determine, before in an accident, as there is no set price increase of all insurance companies. Their insurers have probably his own formula for determining whether an insured person, to pay more for an accident will have. Most insurance companies calculate an average 20-40% more than the premium, but increase others based on how long you have been holding insurance with the company, the rest of your driving record and other factors.

More than debt be a car collision, you should can your insurance charge more up to 150% for your premium or overall drop from your policy if the company keeps you a high risk insured.

The simple answer is: not to cause an accident. Drive carefully. It is not sweet talk your way insurance rate increase can unfortunately. But you prepare yourself, before you may be in an accident:

Ask your insurance agent car for the insurance-point plan. This is the document that explains how your company definitely increase rate for drivers that are in accidents.After you read it, ask your agent questions about something that is not clear. This is his work as your agent: to make things easy to understand.Ask whether you have an accident forgiveness clause in the directive. Some auto insurance companies like AllState and state farm to increase your prices not; after an accident However require some companies have them insured for about nine years, to check these before you assume that you are covered.

car accident and car insurance

Insurance companies double the average premium for the claim after an accident.

If you are online for automobile insurance, is look around to see what each car insurance company are policy to charge a premium for the policyholder, involved in a car accident and who are flawed. If it more for accidents expelled, this factor in when the to create your quote. A $600-policy could easily be a $800 or more policy, if the insurance company accident fees are strict.

If you have caused an accident and are looking for some rest after a price hike in the quota for your auto insurance, well be. Most companies reduced the quota for your again after a given time good driving history after the accident. Inquire with your insurance agent to see what the period is (may be as low as 18 months). After this period without important driving issues on your plate is, call back and get restored your lower insurance premium.

Or, when you’re ready for a switch, you will receive the offers of other auto insurers, if still more money to save by the change of insurance companies. Do have a list of criteria available in the search for your car offers online:

How much coverage you want to?How much can you afford if you have to pay a deductible?Need rent or roadside cover?What is your driving history?How much can you afford for car insurance pay every 6 months?Prefer you work online with your policy, or do you want a local agent to deal with?

These questions to determine how much to pay you are changing from your auto insurance company and exactly the coverage you can get, you need.

Check out your quote at teen auto insurance to get cheap teen auto insurance quotes.

Teen auto insurance - would it cover mechanical breakdown?

Acknlwedgment Pink – flickr.com

Teen auto insurance or any car insurance policy will not cover mechanical problems?

Teen auto insurance or car insurance policy would provide coverage in case of the unforseen accident.

There are two coverages which the insurance company provides for damage to the car or auto itself. These are comprehensive coverage and collison coverage.

Comprehensive auto insurance covers perils or risk like fire, theft and natural calamities or “God’s acts as they are known in insurance. the natural calamaties are like hail, storm, floods, earthquake, lightning, parts of airplane. Even vandaliim and damage if a deer hits your car are covered here. This is what is covered under the comprhensive coverage for a teen auto insurance policy.

Collision coverage is another teen auto insurance coveragae which covers your own car for physical damage when there is a collison. It can be a collision with the light post, another car, tree or even with the road!!

However mechanical problems are not covered under teen auto insurance policy or any car insurance policy.

Why mechanical problems are not covered under teen auto insurance policy?

Mechanical problems or wear and tear is not covered under teen auto inusrance policy or any car insurance policy since the purpose of insurance is to cover unforseen expenses. Mechanical problems are not unforseen problems as such and ocurr because of wear and tear. These are problems would come with each and every vehicle and hence the cost of settleing the claims and the cost of claims would become very high. Insurance companies would be working like a garage!!
The cost of auto insurance and especially teen auto insurance would become absurdly high and unaffordable. Hence they are not covered.

If mechnical problems are not covered by teen auto insurance than what is the next best solution?

Since mechanical problems are not covered by teen auto insurance or car insurance the next best solution for this is to cover is under warranty insurance, wherein you can by a warranty for mechanical problems to your engine, or even a car mechanical problems warranty. These also work on the same principle like teen auto insurance, but are not given directly by the insurance companies but by the auto dealers who would enter into warranty insurance with the insurance companies.

Interesting isn’t it. For every problem there is a solution but with a price. Of course except for getting cheap teen auto insurance quotes, get them free here you will certainly get your cheap teen auto insurance quote.

Thanks.
Kamlesh

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Teen auto insurance or car insurance mandatory

Response : Teen auto insurance or car insurance mandatory in most countries since unfortunately seen the experience is that there are lots of auto accidents. Unfortunately when an accident occurs the liability is very high especially if someone is injured, it is a catastrophic injury or some one dies. The cost of liability is very high which would ruin any person financially and at the same time the person who is not at fault would suffer though he is not at fault. The financial downfall of the households leads to the down fall in the economy and thus the nation. The same effects can be seen because of the mortgage collapse in USA presently. Thus auto insurance became compulsory. It is in a way to ensure that the persons who are driving the cars on the roads are more careful.

Below are some of the statstics given by the Insurance Institute of high way safety :

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of three and 34 except for seven-year olds (based on 2005 data).

A motor vehicle death occurs on average every 14 minutes and an injury every 13 seconds. About 102 people died each day in motor vehicle crashes in 2008.

Since the first documented crash death in 1899, more than 30 million people worldwide have died in traffic crashes.

From the above data you will understand and agree that teen auto insurance or car insurance should be compulsory. How many under 25 years old will have millions of dollors to compensate for any loss or fatality that they cause due to negligent driving?

Cheap car insurance
Once again the above statastics speak for themselves that the auto accidents are so high that even if it is mandatory the claims payable for this are so high that the insurance premiums would directly follow the claims and the insurance companies expenses in settling the losses. The legal expenses are increasing which leads to higher expense rates for the insurance companies and ultimately the clients pay. This is one basic reason why cheap car insurance needs to be searched for. There are many other inter-related financial and technical reasons also to why auto insurance are not cheap.

For your benefit, let me tell you that it is always advisable to compare teen auto insurance online and get your cheap car insurance quote. Atleast you can make informed decisions.

Thanks.
Kamlesh

Response: Christen, ban on text messages would help in getting cheap teen auto insurances since prevention of accidents would lead to better driving history and thus cheap auto insurance quote.

I understand this concern and especially for teenagers who are used to the mordern gadets. Text messaging whilst driving has caused a lot of fatal accidents since text messaging is one of the second highest reason fro auto insurance claims and accidents other than speeding.

Auto insurance rates are affected and it is difficult to get cheap teen auto insurance if one is driving with distractions, text messaging being one is because you are more likely to get involved in an accident. Once you have an accident than you are going to have an auto insurance claim, which will push up your auto insurance rate and will prevent you from getting cheap teen auto insurance quote.

Here are some of the reaosns why the different states have brought in the law banning text messaging whilst driving.

Insurance is based on data and auto insurance is based not only on the data but also on the fact that this would affect human life’s and hence risk prevention and control is more important for this than other areas of insurance. Save your life and others.

Florida’s minimum coverage is $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 property damage liability (PDL) as long as you have a valid Florida tag.

The Bodily Injury Liability is a coverage that would pay for serious and permanent injury or death to others caused by an accident of your auto. Your insurer will pay for the injuries caused in case you are sued up to the limits of your policy. Your insurance company will also pay incase you or any member of your family or any person was driving the car, provided the person had the permission to drive the car and the person is holding a valid license.  This coverage also provides you with legal defense in the event you are sued by the injured party.

I would recommend that you should go for limits higher than this, since you are a teenager and if you can afford this, since the accident rate for teenagers is highest for this group. Not having sufficient liability limits can lead to grave financial consequences.

Kamlesh