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What I was going to add is that you MAY indeed encounter some issues over the fact that the other driver and you did not collide. To an extent, the argument is you have to control your vehicle. (And for the record, I realize that means either evading the driver and having another accident or getting hit by him to prove he was at fault and I agree that's a bad deal all around). Part of why this way of thinking exists is collisions are objective evidence. He can't deny he screwed up if he tore your front quarterpanel off. OTOH, drivers can always say "this guy cut me off and if I didn't drive into the ditch, we would have collided". The problem is, "this guy" is never caught.
That's why the driver getting ticketed (and the cops actually witnessing it) are so important. Just let USAA battle it out--SF is good enough to realize when their drivers are in the wrong and they'll pay.
The police who arrived on the scene noted this and stopped those guys as they were leaving the scene. They were cited for the unauthorized use of traffic control devices and given a lecture by the cops, who gave us their driver and insurance information. I left it to my insurance company to pursue the matter. I had a BMW then and it took 5-1/2 months for the repair (lack of parts availability) and I don't recall ever writing a check to the body shop for the deductible.
http://www.geico.com/nj/index.htm
kcram
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You could give it a shot since you have two witnesses, but you will have a problem finding a legal beagle willing to take the case - they're in the business for money, not "justice." It would have been a lot easier if you did have coverage. Then, you'd get the damages repaired under your policy and the insurer subrogates the claim through their lawyers.
As prophet pointed out, had he hit you, then most of the liability would be on that guy, because not only was he so out of control that he hit you, but you also couldn't even avoid HIM. Unforunately, I think it's a tough break all around and I would point out that bombing around uninsured does ZERO to help your cause here.
I'm not trying to be over critical or take sides, believe me--I've got nothing invested in it one way or another. Just trying to add perspective. It sort of brings me back to an adage we use here, where deer hits are probably the #1 loss we have. HIT THE DEER! (Not only is swerving to miss it much more dangerous, but if you do miss and hit the ditch or whatever, then it's collision and it's at fault).
No disrespect intended, but regarding Prophets reference to "justice", how can you expect to get coverage for the damages for someone who did not actually hit your car, when you admittedly do not carry your own coverage?
Frankly, anyone who drives without liability insurance is crazy! (that is not an opinion....that is a fact!).
4. Meet Virginia's insurance requirements (your vehicle must be insured when you register it)
Virginia law requires the following minimum insurance coverage for all registered vehicles.
$25,000 for injury or death of one person;
$50,000 for injury or death of two or more people; and
$20,000 for property damage.
Or, if insurance is not an option, pay a $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee (UMV). Paying this fee does not provide insurance coverage, but it does allow you to register and operate your vehicle in Virginia for one year.
If you register your vehicle in Virginia and it's not covered by liability insurance and you do not pay the UMV fee, you face a $500 fine, suspension of your driver's license and vehicle registration(s), and higher insurance premiums for the next three years. Whenever you obtain or cancel a liability policy, or add or remove a vehicle from a policy, the insurance company notifies DMV immediately.
Anwyay, WI's law is the "Financial Responsibility Law". Basically, you are held financially responsible if you cause bodily injury or property damage. Failure to pay the amount of the damages (WHATEVER they might be, one dollar or $500,000) or at least establishing a repayment plan results in revocation of your license. Which never stops anybody anyway.
The point is mandatory insurance laws...DO NOT WORK. Study after study has shown that the percentage of uninsured drivers in states without mandatory insurance laws is close to equal to that in states without mandatory laws. Why? Because for the same reason people still speed despite speed limits. There will ALWAYS be a segment of the population who either a) cannot afford even the most basic level of coverage (or claim they cannot, anyway), b) simply doesn't believe in it--(the "I won't have an accident" or "insurance companies suck" types), c) flat out losers who simply do not care one way or another. You cannot legislate against that. People will sign up for a policy and let it lapse, only to sign up again next year when registering the car. Some states have gotten better at catching this, but it's a big struggle to do so.
So in WI, despite not having this wonderful law, uninsured drivers are an issue, but no more so than any other state.
The other driver was at fault, and ran into the side of my 2-day-old BMW 330i. Allstate's appraiser estimated the damage at about $1200, but the body shop I took it to yesterday thinks that amount will go up once they get inside the door panels and look at it.
I normally wouldn't give much thought to diminished value, but the fact that I only had the car for two days makes me sick. I certainly would not have bought the car if it had been wrecked, no matter how good the repairs were.
Oh, and I'm in Texas.
"4. Meet Virginia's insurance requirements (your vehicle must be insured when you register it)"
However, evidently this is not mandated.
How ever well the repair is done, you've got a car with paint and body work, and it will be money outta your pocket come trade time. It's a cost of the accident and shouldn't be your expense. Good luck.
Terry.
My 1997 Ford Taurus LX sedan was totaled while it was parked. I'm trying to do some research and see what the insurance company is going to pay me - I'm concerned because I still have car payments left to make - not to mention need down payment for another car.
The adjuster called and said that the car needs to be taken to another location to have a value set and they use "ADP" to determine the market value.
The car has many options - power moon roof About 14K miles less than the norm (has 68K not 84K). Leather/power seat, cd changer, keyless entry, new tires (4 months old now) etc.
Any ideas? suggestions? Tips on what to do or say If I don't like their quote? (BTW other drive is obviously at fault and did have insurance)
Thank you in advance very much for any input.
Car_man
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That sounds high even by NJ standards. Sounds like you have a few moving violations...
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Can anyone give me the require insurance coverage for a car that's funded via a financial institution in Southern California? Is there a set minimum?
I used Progressive's online quote generator to see how much a 05 Nissan Xterra would cost with 100/300/100 full coverage insurance with a $1,000 deductible and got a quote for $1,055.90/six months. Also, a Scion tC would cost me $950.90/six months. Why are the quotes so high? Am I setting the coverage too high?
I'm 25 yr old male, no moving violations in the last 3 years, no accidents in 5 years and have been driving for almost 8 years.
I'm a 30 year old guy, totally clean driving record, and a 2004 Accord V6. My deductible is $250/$500. My premium is between $900 and $1200 PER YEAR (depending on whether I live in Santa Barbara or Oxnard). Amica (highest rated by JD Power consumer satisfaction and they have an online quote estimator) and AAA SoCal (also well rated but had to call the guy back) gave me the least expensive quotes.
Honestly, there's no such thing as "setting the coverage too high". I suggest carrying limit as high as you can afford. Further, I'm sure you will find the difference between the state minimums and the 100/300/100 to be much smaller than you think--that is, it's a good idea to go with the better coverage for the little bit of money (unless, of course, you have the misfortune of being subject to NJ rates--as one poster has found).
Most finance companies couldn't care less what your liability limits are--only with a lease will there be required limits--because the lease company is titled owner and they sometimes get dragged into vehicle crash claims with injuries--a big reason most larger companies don't do leases in NY, RI and a couple other states. With a loan, however, you are titled owner and I guarantee you, the bank or finance company only cares about themselves. Thus, most have rules as to how high your deductibles can be, not how low your liability limits can be. (In fact, I would be cautious with a $1000 deduct as most institutions require a deduct at or less than 500).
The state of CA, since I believe it is a mandatory insurance state, in requiring coverage, also likely has a requirement of minimum liability limits, but typically, those laws require absurdly low limits, like 25/50/10 or I've seen states that require 15/30/10. You can check with your DMV on that, but I wouldn't decrease the limits if I were you--I would just continue shopping if you feel the rate is too high. Finally (about time, right?), I would point out that most companies still impose a higher-than-normal type rate for unmarried males under 30. So, although I received a large reduction when I turned 25, I am still paying a higher rate than a guy my age that's married or an unmarried 30 year old.
Some tickets are obvious--drunk driving, reckless driving, failure to obey sign (hmm, you're not stopping at stop signs, what are the chances you'll hit someone?) but I could never wrap my head around speeding tickets.
The problem, however, is insurance companies are always trying to match price to risk as best they can. The real easy ones are people with prior accidents--if you have had an accident, you're more likely than the person without an accident to have another. But, what about the bad drivers out there nobody "knows" about? They don't drive drunk, don't have accidents, but they're bad nonetheless. Raising rates for all moving violations is a way of trying to catch those bad drivers when a clue presents itself. I'm not saying YOU'RE a bad driver--but insurance is what it is--a pooling of resources to offset a pool of risk. There's no way to tell the occasional good driver with a ticket from the rest of those that probably are bad drivers that have tickets.
(I would note, too, it's not just bad luck--you have 2 tickets in 4 years). In my own case, I have 1 at-fault loss in my life--I was 18 and turned into someone. A truly boneheaded move, honestly. But, claim free since (age 28, driving since 16 1/2). I have one ticket and that was 4 years ago. Fortunately, n the preferred division of the company I have, the occasional moving violation does not affect my rate.
Guess what happened at 5:00 PM on June 30? I turned my 6 month old SAAB into the path of a 4 month old Caddilac (that I think was running a light and was traveling 60 in a 40 zone). in about 1/10th of a second, two cars totalled, with damages aproaching $75000. But, no one was injured.
Fortunately, no injuries..
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Darn I was hoping to get a break when I hit 25 yrs old or 8 years driving experience. I guess I just have to marry a woman that will let me use her as a tax/insurance break and asks for nothing in return.
She has a spotless driving record (I think one ticket in 20+ years, and no accidents), while I, Crash Corrigan (as my parents called me), seemed to average 1 accident every 18-24 months for the first 10 years I was driving, plus a couple of speeding tickets. I've gotten better as I got older (no accident claims in past 10 years and only 2 tickets in the same time frame).
Her opinion changed after her oldest son got his license 2 years ago. 5 weeks later he rolled his Chevy Tracker on a dirt road coming home from school. Car totalled, 3 kids to hospital (one via helicopter) and $37000 in claims. Fortunately, no serious injuries (some stitches and a "moderate" concussion) came about.
State Farm processed the claim with absolutely no hassles.
Wife no longer has a problem with insurance premiums, regardless of size.
that all depends on your perspective, I guess. I average about 28K miles a year, so I think I'm about twice as likely as the average (12-15K/yr) driver to get caught. Not to mention that spending that much time on the road, I believe, makes you more likely to speed given the likely increased comfort level and the fact that sometimes you "just want to get the hell home."
You're right, of course, about trying to average risk vs price, but the big flaw to the equation is that they don't take the actual crime into account, but merely the points. So they say "ok, 4 or more points and you get a price hike." But that means the guy with 2 minor speeding tickets (me) gets lumped into the same category as, for instance, someone who runs a red light while passing on the shoulder of the road. OR someone who doesn't stop at a stoplight, has an accident, and flees the scene (yup, according to jersey, that's 4 points total - 2 for not stopping and 2 for fleeing the scene). Yeah, its a great system.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Not necessarily. Tickets of equal points typically are of the same type of thing. (I'll address your point about leaving the scene below a bit later). In WI, most minor moving violations are 4 points. Most majors are 6. Most insurance companies here couldn't care less if it was 62 points, 1 point or none. They DO look at the violation. Period. Of course, this is WI, not NJ.
So they say "ok, 4 or more points and you get a price hike."
They do? You know for a fact that's the way it works? Not, "each ticket equals an increase", but rather, "somebody's looking just at the points"? I doubt it, but as I've said, anything's possible in NJ.
"But that means the guy with 2 minor speeding tickets (me) gets lumped into the same category as, for instance, someone who runs a red light while passing on the shoulder of the road. OR someone who doesn't stop at a stoplight, has an accident, and flees the scene (yup, according to jersey, that's 4 points total - 2 for not stopping and 2 for fleeing the scene)."
If that's the case, you need to find a new carrier. Here, fleeing the scene (and I do not care how many point it is) is a major and grounds for cancellation.
My 04 Titan is the most expensive to insure, but I can only carry $500 deductables on it too. The 04 Focus ZX3 and the 99 Ram 3500 both have $1k deductables. The camper I'm not sure about, but its only $180/year, so no biggie. We carry 100/300/50 I believe for liability limits and we have uninsured/underinsured on there too.
Just in case, what? Just in case you blow the stop sign and t-boned? Then, with the side airbags you will live and can work to pay off the judgement because you didn't carry high enough limits? Don't get me wrong, I see where you're going with this, (the "I'll just get the coverage I need to and use the savings gained in selecting lower coverage to put toward something worthwhile) but I also get the impression you might be wrapping 2 issues into one.
Mind you, despite being in the industry, I can't sell you a policy anyway, don't live in NJ and don't know anyone there. So I gain ZERO by telling you this--it's not a come on--it's practical advice I've gained.
I'm just bitter that I will have to pay $2,000+ a year for insurance. That's almost half a year's worth of car payments.
Anyway, to be nicer, my point is still the same. I'm glad you looked into it and found it to be reasonable.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Increasing liability limits is relatively inexpensive - the consumer has to think "protection", not "cost savings" - everything costs more, and your insurance limits MUST reflect that.
kcram
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But not all people with speeding tickets have accidents.
It's like alcohol... it's not that it's really any better or worse than not-paying-attention or driving-while-tired, it's just so much easier to measure.
-Mathias
Moral of the story: Insurance companies don't really care about losing a customer. Threatening action from an administrative agency is often the most effective way to resolve a dispute. (Also, from my contracts class: Insurance is not really insurance, it's an agreement to litigate about who's responsible at a later date.)
Among other insurers, AIG and GEICO also have a list of "preferred" or "certified" body shops who agree to repair the damage according to the estimate by the insurers' adjustor. This smacks a little of "steerage," a practice which is illegal in our state. This does not prohibit the insurers from "suggesting" the use of these shops, with the "satisfaction guaranteed" provision the main thrust. Our laws merely reiterate the right of a claimant to use the "shop of his/her choice." Any disputes about the repair costs are resolved between the insurer and the shop. The claimant is on notice that disputes they may have with the quality of the work will be with that shop, not the insurer.
It may well be that your state may have similar laws about your right to use a shop of your choice. The adjustor was probably trying to convince you to use the original shop until your demand not to forced him to accede.
We had done the sale deal with the local dealer at $12.5K (LE with 52.2K miles). I had signed all the paper work, and had left the car with them. 20 minutes later the dealer called me saying that the CARFAX shows the two accidents and they can not offer me the same price. Their argument was that they heavily advertise CARFAX on their used car sales, and it will be more difficult to find a buyer because of the two accidents.
Though I could have stuck to the signed papers, I agreed to their logic. We finally struck a deal at $11,750.
The question I have for the insurance folks is this:
How could I have defended my interest when the original insurance company settled the claim?
At that point we got them to pay for the repairs and the rental car and that was pretty much it. In retrospect, I should have asked for more money to account for the depreciation.
The car was about an year old when the accidents happened and had less than 10K miles. Common sense dictates that a car with an accident on the record will go for 10% less in the early years. The damage to the value of the car will go down only when the car is worth $5-7K (which can take 7-8 years).
What do local State laws say with regards to this issue? What is the standard policy on this issue?
Does anyone know after how many years are insurance points dropped while buying insurace? My insurance company still takes into account 5 points from an accident in May 2001. When will these points go away?
Thanks,
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
I am with Liberty Mutual.
kcram
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