Category: Car Insurance

Tennessee Car Insurance

Last updated on April 26th, 2018

Tennessee Car Insurance – Unlike most other states, Tennessee does not require vehicle owners to provide proof of insurance when they are registering a vehicle with the DMV. Requiring drivers to provide proof of insurance before registering a vehicle has proven to be one of the most effective methods in the county in forcing people to abide by car insurance regulations but Tennessee has opted to use other methods of enforcement in order to make sure drivers carry car insurance. Despite the fact that proof of insurance is not required to register a vehicle in Tennessee drivers are still required to be able to prove financial responsibility while operating a vehicle on public roads. If a driver is pulled over or involved in an accident they will have to provide proof of financial responsibility or risk being penalized for driving without insurance.

The purpose of financial responsibility is to ensure that drivers either have the resources or necessary insurance to pay for any injuries or property damage that occurs as a result of their driving. For most Tennessee residents the purchase of an insurance policy that meets state requirements is the easiest and most affordable way to secure proof of financial responsibility. For a car insurance policy to meet the minimum requirements established in Tennessee, it must include at least $20,000 in per person bodily injury liability coverage, $50,000 in per accident bodily injury liability coverage and $10,000 in property damage liability coverage. Liability coverage is the only type of insurance coverage required in Tennessee and while most states require multiple types of coverage Tennessee’s at-fault system functions to make sure that at a minimum every driver has the ability to pay for injuries and damage they cause to other parties in an accident. If a Tennessee resident wishes to add coverage that will pay for their injuries and property damage as well they are free to do so. Maintaining car insurance in Tennessee also protect the policyholder from any legal ramifications should their vehicle be involved in an accident. Tennessee’s car insurance system is based on tort law which allows private individuals to sue other individuals for damages relating to a variety of situations, including car accidents. If a driver fails to pay for the cost o an accident after being ordered to do so by the court it then becomes a criminal matter and the offending party can be punished with fines, suspensions and even possible jail time. If a Tennessee resident does not wish to purchase an auto insurance policy that meets state regulations the only other viable option afforded them is the purchase of bond or deposit in the amount of $50,000. After the deposit is made the drive must then fill out a form certifying that they have the money on deposit and submit it to the DMV as proof of financial responsibility. Failure to supply proof of insurance or financial responsibility on request is considered a Class C misdemeanor in the state of Tennessee and can be punished rather harshly.

Although Tennessee does not require proof of insurance to register a vehicle the state uses a variety o other effective methods in order to make sure as many people as possible meet Tennessee’s financial responsibility requirements.  For instance, Tennessee requires all insurance companies that do business in the state to notify the DMV any time there is a cancellation, lapse or a non-renewal. This allows the DMV to act quickly when a driver and vehicle become uninsured instead of waiting for them to be involved in an accident or pulled over. Tennessee car insurance law also requires drivers to supply proof of insurance every time they are pulled over or involved in an accident, regardless of why they were pulled over or who was at-fault. Failure to supply proof of insurance or financial responsibility on request is considered a Class C misdemeanor in the state of Tennessee though punishment for such an offense is rather light compared to other states that treat driving uninsured as a misdemeanor. In most cases, an uninsured driver that is discovered by police will be slapped with a maximum fine of $100 and the mandatory suspension of the driver’s license. In some cases, such as ones involving a repeat offender, a driver can have their license suspended immediately but it is more common for the suspension to be delayed until the offender is allowed to have their day in court. If a Tennessee motorist can prove that they had insurance at the time the citation was issued the license suspension will generally be canceled but the driver will still have to pay the fine for failing to provide proof of insurance. If a driver has their license suspended in Tennessee for failing to maintain auto insurance they will have to pay a $20 reinstatement fee in order to have the suspension lifted and may even be required to obtain an SR-22 from their insurance company as proof of future insurance.

Find Smog Check Stations Near Me

To stay in compliance with the State of Tennessee’s smog check requirements, Tennessee-registered drivers must get their vehicles to pass a vehicle emissions test if they live in certain regions of the state. Check out our DMV & Emissions Testing Locations in Tennessee pages below to find a DMV office or testing location in your area.

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Massachusetts Car Insurance

Last updated on November 9th, 2017

Unlike most states, which allow drivers to prove financial responsibility in a variety of different ways, such as purchasing an indemnity bond or self insuring, Massachusetts only allows residents to satisfy financial responsibility requirements in one way and that is purchasing minimum levels of liability coverage. In the state of Massachusetts vehicle owners are required to maintain minimum amounts of liability coverage on every vehicle they own. If a vehicle is not covered by minimum levels of liability insurance required by the state it cannot be legally driven on a public road. In Massachusetts minimum coverage levels set by the state currently sit at $20,000 in per person bodily injury coverage, $40,000 in per accident bodily injury coverage and $5,000 property damage coverage. Massachusetts law also requires that vehicle owners purchase at least $8,000 in personal injury protection. This personal injury protection is meant to cover medical expenses and lost wages resulting from an auto accident, regardless of who is at fault. When a car insurance policy is purchased in Massachusetts it automatically include levels of coverage that meet the state’s minimum requirements though policy owners can purchase extra coverage if they so desire.  Massachusetts car insurance companies also offer a variety of optional forms of coverage for residents of the state, including collision, comprehensive and medical payment coverage. Unlike liability coverage, most of the optional coverage offered by car insurance companies to Massachusetts residents is payable directly to the policy holder and does not require fault to be placed on a driver before the money is paid out. Even if a policy holder with one or more of the above mentioned forms of optional coverage is at fault in an accident they are still eligible to receive the money paid out from the insurance company.

In Massachusetts, if a vehicle owner allows their insurance coverage to lapse or cannot provide proof of insurance when requested they risk being penalized for failure to maintain coverage as dictated by state law. In addition to the cost of the violation itself, receiving a citation for lack of insurance can also cause insurance premiums to rise. The mandatory fine for driving without car insurance in Massachusetts is a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $5,000. The amount of the fine a driver receives for driving without insurance will largely depend on whether or not they have been caught driving without insurance before. In some cases a driver without insurance can also be penalized by up to a year in jail if they cannot pay the fine. Drivers caught without car insurance also risk having their license suspended for up to 60 days by the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Additionally, the tags and registration of a vehicle could also be suspended, which will result in the driver having to pay more fines to have their driving privileges reinstated. In most cases the fees and fines a driver will incur for driving without car insurance will more than exceed any potential savings they saw from not paying insurance premiums.

Recently, the state of Massachusetts has done away with its old fixed car insurance system that managed competition between insurance companies and required companies to apply certain surcharges to their customer’s insurance premiums for different types of traffic violations. Now, car insurance companies licensed to sell insurance can decide what surcharges they charge their customers for traffic violations, known in Massachusetts as a merit rating plan. This allows car insurance companies to set their own surcharges as well as credits in the form of a safe driver insurance plan. This plan rewards drivers to having a clean driving record and not having any accident and penalizes drivers that have a checkered driving history. Although insurance companies are free to determine their own rates based on a drivers history Massachusetts law prevents insurance companies from using anything older than six years when calculating the premiums for a customer. The way insurance companies calculate premium rates in Massachusetts also makes it extremely beneficial for residents to shop around for a policy. Since insurance companies in Massachusetts are allowed to calculate premiums based on the factors they determine to be important, such as a driver’s age or driving history, a motorist in Massachusetts can easily get five different quotes from five different car insurance companies. Even if two car insurance companies use the same criteria to determine insurance rates they are still likely to weigh the criteria differently, resulting in different rates for the same driver. Unfortunately for residents of Massachusetts, legal restrictions make it rather difficult for a vehicle owner to easily receive car insurance quotes from multiple auto insurance companies, primarily because there are a variety of restrictions on providing insurance quotes on the internet. Because of this, if a driver in Massachusetts wants an official quote they will more than likely have to call the company or visit a local agent in person.

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Louisiana Car Insurance

Last updated on April 26th, 2018

Vehicles registered in the state of Louisiana must meet or exceed state requirements regarding car insurance. Because Louisiana is a tort state, which means that every time there is accident involving two or more vehicles one of the drivers must be found at fault for the accident and it is the at fault driver that is required to take on financial responsibility for all injuries and damages caused by the accident.  As of 2010 minimum Louisiana car insurance requirements are set at $15,000 in individual bodily injury liability coverage, $30,000 in bodily injury coverage per accident and $25,000 in property damage liability coverage. Louisiana’s minimum property damage coverage makes it one of the few states that requires resident to purchase more property damage coverage than individual bodily injury coverage since in most states these two amounts are either the same or the property damage coverage is lower.  In addition to vehicles that are not designed to be driven on the highway and vehicles that are nonoperational, vehicle that are owned by the state and buses owned by individual municipalities, such as cities, are not required to meet minimum state car insurance requirements.

In Louisiana motorists are legally obligated to provide proof of insurance to a law enforcement officer upon request. Proof of insurance requirements can be met by producing an insurance card issued by the insurance company, though the declaration page from the policy or a written statement from the insurance company will suffice as well. If a driver is not able to provide proof of insurance upon request they will be in violation of Louisiana car insurance law and will likely be penalized accordingly. When a motorist is found to be driving without insurance in Louisiana state law permits immediate seizure of the uninsured vehicle or the vehicle’s license plates and requires the placement of a yellow sticker on the vehicle to indicate that it does not have insurance. In order to get the vehicle or license plates back the vehicle owner must present proof of insurance and pay any necessary fines. The first time a driver is caught on the road without insurance they will be hit with a fine ranging from $75 to $100; subsequent offences can result in fines as much as $700.

The state of Louisiana also has a rather unique law called “no pay no play.” The no pay no play law prevents uninsured drivers from collecting the first $10,000 in injury or property damage benefits paid out by an insured driver’s policy. In other words, if an uninsured driver is involved in an accident, even if they are not considered to be at fault in the accident, they will forfeit their right to be reimbursed for the first $10,000 that they would otherwise be owed. Under this law an uninsured driver that is involved in an accident and sustains $12,000 in property damage would only be allowed to collect $2,000 from the insurance company and will still be penalized by the state for driving without insurance.

Louisiana state law also dictates when an auto insurance policy can be canceled. If a policy has been active for at least 60 days a policy can only be canceled for certain reasons. Most of the most common reasons for cancelation, such as failure to a pay insurance premiums or the suspension of the policy holder’s license, typically allow the policy holder a grace period ranging between 10 and 30 days before the policy is actually canceled by the insurance company.

Louisiana is one of the few states that operate an automobile insurance plan, which helps high risk drivers obtain an insurance policy. If a driver has too many negative marks on their driving record or has a history of accident or drunk driving they may not be able to find a car insurance company that is willing to voluntarily insure them, even at an inflated cost. If a Louisiana resident is unable to find a car insurance company that is willing to write an auto insurance policy for them they can request an automobile insurance application from any insurance company licensed to sell insurance in Louisiana. As part of the application process the applicant must certify that they have been unable to find an insurance policy over the last 60 days. The application will be sent to the automobile insurance plan office and, if approved, the driver will be assigned to an insurance provider that will be legally required to write them a car insurance policy. Once on the automobile insurance plan the insurance company will be required to insure a driver that is placed with them for at least three years, after which the driver must re submit another application if they still are unable to find an insurance company to sell them car insurance in Louisiana.

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Colorado Car Insurance

Last updated on April 26th, 2018

When buying Colorado Car Insurance Policy there are a variety of requirements that must be met in order for the policy to satisfy Colorado State law. The most obvious requirement that drivers in Colorado have to meet is maintaining minimum levels of liability coverage on their vehicle. These minimum levels are set by the state government and are mandatory for every Colorado resident that wants to operate a vehicle on a public road. The liability coverage required by the state of Colorado consists of three different categories, bodily injury to a single person, bodily injury for a single accident and property damage. The minimum required coverage for bodily injury to a single person is $25,000 while the single accident minimum is set at $50,000. The property damage minimum required by the state is the lowest of the three and sits at $15,000. While there are other types of insurance coverage available to Colorado drivers only the liability coverage, which protects the policy holder from financial liability if they are responsible for an accident, is required by Colorado State car insurance law. In addition to minimum coverage requirements the state of Colorado also requires its residents to carry proof of insurance with them at all times while driving a vehicle. If a driver is pulled over or is involved in an accident and cannot provide proof of insurance to the officer on the scene they may be issued a citation as well as other penalties. There are a few different documents that will satisfy Colorado’s proof of insurance requirement, including an insurance card issued by the insurance company, a copy of the insurance policy itself, the declaration page from the policy or even a letter from the insurance company on company letterhead verifying that a vehicle is covered. All acceptable forms of proof of insurance in Colorado must include the VIN number of the vehicle, the make, model and year of the vehicle as well as the period of coverage.

The penalties for not adhering to state regulations regarding car insurance in Colorado tend to be rather severe in comparison to many other states. For first time offenders caught driving without car insurance on their vehicle the penalty in a mandatory $500 fine in addition to four points being attached to the driver’s license. While the monetary fine is larger for first offenders in most states the points that are attached to the driver’s license can also have a significant financial impact since they will result in higher insurance premiums. A second offense will carry an even heavier penalty in the form of a $1,000 fine and a four month suspension of the driver’s license. A third offense will also result in a $1,000 fine though instead of a four month suspension the driver’s license will be suspended for 8 months and the driver will be order to serve 40 hours of community service as punishment. With each offense the insurance premiums for the offending driver will continue to increase substantially, resulting in an even heavier financial burden.

In addition to minimum car insurance requirements the state of Colorado also requires insurance companies to offer certain other types of insurance to drivers even though the law does not require the driver to actually purchase the type of coverage. For example, Colorado insurance law requires insurance companies to offer their customers both uninsured and underinsured motorists coverage in the same amount of the bodily injury coverage they have. If a driver purchases $100,000 in bodily injury coverage the insurance company will be required to offer them t least $100,000 in uninsured and underinsured motorists coverage. Starting in January of 2009 car insurance companies that do business in Colorado are also required to offer their customers at least $5,000 in medical payments coverage. Every time an auto insurance policy is purchased in Colorado this coverage is automatically added to the premium unless the driver actively opts out of the coverage and has it removed from their policy. Collision coverage, which covers the policy holder’s vehicle from damage sustained in an accident, is another type of coverage that the state of Colorado requires insurance companies to offer.

Colorado car insurance law also covers many subtleties often over looked by drivers, such as the cancellation of the insurance policy and the potential grace period. Many states require insurance companies to allow their customers to have a grace period during which their insurance remains active even if they have not paid the bill. However, in Colorado there is no legally required grace period and unless the premium payment is received before or on the date it is due the insurance company is within its right to deny coverage for any accident that results immediately afterwards. Colorado also regulates the cancellation of car insurance policies before they expire. The only way a policy can be canceled before the term is up is if the policy holder is found to have lied on the application, they have failed to make a payment or if their license has been suspended.

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Texas Car Insurance

Last updated on April 26th, 2018

When it comes to car accidents involving two or more drivers Texas Car Insurance law requires the driver that caused the accident to pay for any injuries or property damage sustained by other parties. Since the costs of even a minor accident can place unbearable financial burden on many motorists the state of Texas operates under a financial responsibility law that requires drivers to prove that they have the ability to pay for any damage or injuries they cause before they are able to legally drive on a public road.  The easiest way for Texas residents to prove financial responsibility is to purchase an auto insurance policy that includes the minimum amount of coverage as required by state law. In the state of Texas the only type of insurance that is legally required to be maintained on a vehicle is liability insurance. The state mandates that every auto insurance policy purchased in the state should include at least $30,000 in bodily injury or death benefits for an individual person and $60,000 in bodily injury or death benefits per accident. These benefits are only to secondary parties involved in an accident with the policy holder and cannot be paid out to the policy holder or passengers in the policy holder’s vehicle. In addition to bodily injury and death coverage Texas State law also requires auto insurance policies to include a minimum of $25,000 in property damage liability coverage which can be used to pay for the property damage caused by the policy holder. Because the costs of medical care and property damage can be so high, even in a relatively minor accident, Texas recommends that vehicle owners purchase liability coverage in amount that’s exceed state minimum requirements. Purchasing extra coverage will also help reduce the chance that the policy holder is sued by another party because their liability coverage did not cover the full cost of the accidents. According to Texas law at-fault drivers are responsible for the entire cost of an accident and even if they have insurance they could still be personally liable for a portion of the cost if their insurance does not cover everything or if the other driver attempts to sue for punitive damages. Although liability coverage is generally described as bodily injury or property damage coverage it can actually cover a much wider range claims. Liability coverage for instance can be used to pay for punitive damages if they are awarded to the court and it can also help pay for  policy holder’s attorney fees if they are sued because of an accident and will even pay $250 toward bail if the policy holder or driver of the insured vehicle is arrested.

Liability coverage on a vehicle also covers more people than just the policy holder or the person that happens to be driving the vehicle. The liability coverage included with most policies covers the policy holder’s immediate family and any other people living in the policy holder’s home. If a Texas vehicle owner wishes to have auto insurance coverage that will pay their injuries or property damage most Texas car insurance companies will allow them to purchase comprehensive and collision coverage. Comprehensive and collision coverage typically covers pretty much any physical damage done to the insured vehicle no matter how it was caused and who was at-fault for the damage. Some residents may also wish to purchase uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage which will be activated if the insured vehicle is involved in an accident and the at-fault driver does not have enough coverage to pay for the injuries to all parties involved in the accident.

In order to enforce state car insurance requirements Texas residents are required y law to present proof of insurance in a variety of situations Like many other states Texas requires a vehicle owner to provide proof of insurance when they register a vehicle with the DMV or when they receive or attempt to renew their drivers license. Drivers are also required to provide proof of insurance when they are pulled over or involved in an accident. Failure to provide proof of insurance to a law enforcement officer upon request will often result in a traffic citation and other potential penalties if they are convicted of driving without insurance. For a first offense an uninsured driver will be fined anywhere from $175 to $350 and for a second or subsequent offense a Texas resident could face a fine as large as $1,000 and will also have their license suspended and their vehicle impounded. If an uninsured driver is involved in an at-fault accident that results in serious injury or death to the other driver they will receive a minimum $4,000 fine and could potentially be sentenced to up to 1 year in jail. Driving uninsured in Texas will also result in a black mark on the driver’s record that could result in increased insurance premiums.

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Alaska Car Insurance

Last updated on November 9th, 2017

When it comes to car insurance laws and policies the state of Alaska is a good deal different from most other states due to its unique environmental, geographical and socioeconomic characteristics. Perhaps one of the most unique aspects of the state’s car insurance law that sets it apart from the from other states is that while Alaska has a slew of laws concerning Alaska car insurance, and there are certain towns and regions in the state that are exempt from these requirements. These areas that are exempt from the state’s laws on car insurance are typically isolated from the outside world and have rather small populations, both of which can make minimum car insurance requirements an undue burden on the community. In addition to vehicles that are operated in the specified areas, vehicles that are designed to go off-road and vehicles that are non operational are not required to adhere to Alaska’s minimum car insurance requirements.

For those that are not exempt from Alaska’s laws governing car insurance a rather strict mandatory coverage limit must still be met in order to operate a vehicle legally. The state of Alaska requires that every vehicle be insured with at least $50,000 for injuries to a single person, $100,000 for injuries to multiple people and $25,000 for property damage; all three of which are designed to cover those that are not at fault in an accident. These amounts are higher than in any other state in part because Alaskan officials want to minimize the lawsuits that are a common result of accidents where the minimum insurance carried by the at-fault driver is not enough to cover the damages from the accident. If a driver has accrued more than 6 points on their license in a 5 year span they will be required to meet these limited liability insurance requirements established by the state of Alaska even if they live in an area that is normally exempt from such requirements. Like most other states Alaska also requires that the driver of a vehicle keep proof of insurance in the vehicle at all times. Failure to provide proof of insurance when it is requested by a police officer or an authorized representative of the Department of Public Safety could result in the vehicle being confiscated and impounded until such proof is provided and all fines have been paid. In addition to routine traffic stops proof of insurance is also required if a driver is involved in an accident that resulted in bodily injury, death or damage of property over $501. Alaska is also one of many states that will legally require a driver to carry full coverage on a vehicle that was purchased with a loan. In some states this is left up to the lenders and car dealerships but Alaska has had regulations in place for many years that ensure that all new vehicles purchased with a loan will carry full coverage auto insurance so that if the vehicle is totaled in the first year or two neither the owner or the lender are left holding a worthless asset.

Although car insurance laws in Alaska may seem somewhat lax, especially in their allowance of people that live in certain parts of the state to disregard the legal requirements, when it comes to enforcement of the car insurance laws on the book not many states are as unbending as Alaska. If a driver is pulled over in Alaska and fails to show proof of insurance minimum 90 day suspension of the driver’s license will the punishment handed out and based on the driving record and prior infractions the suspension could be as long as a year. Alaska state law also stipulates that any driver that is involved in an accident and fails to provide proof of insurance, regardless of who is at fault, will have their license suspended for a similar period of time. No matter what the case or how it is discovered, if the DMV is notified that someone is driving a vehicle without proper auto insurance they are required by state law to immediately suspend the license of the owner of the vehicle and/or the person that is driving the vehicle. Failing to provide proof of insurance in Alaska will also result in a hefty fine of $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent infraction.

In instances where someone that does not have insurance on their vehicle is responsible for an accident that caused property damage or bodily harm the state of Alaska still holds the uninsured driver responsible for paying all damages to the injured party within a period of three years. If the matter is not settled within that time frame the driving privileges of the at-fault uninsured driver that failed to pay for the damages will be revoked for a period of three years.

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New Mexico Car Insurance

Last updated on November 20th, 2017

New Mexico Car Insurance – The state of New Mexico’s car insurance system is based on the principals of an at-fault system in which a driver can be found to be at-fault for an accident and will thus be financially liable for all injuries and damages sustained in the accident. In order to protect state residents from the financial burden of having to pay for an accident out of pocket, as well as to protect state motorist from having to pay for injuries or damages caused by another driver, New Mexico requires that all residents purchase a few different types of mandatory coverage. Bodily injury coverage tends to be the most important of all the types required by New Mexico car insurance law due to the fact that it will pay for the injuries of other drivers and their passengers involved in an accident in which the policy holder is at fault. The state requires that every vehicle maintain at least $20,000 in per person bodily injury liability coverage and $50,000 in per accident bodily injury liability coverage. Per person or individual bodily injury coverage is the amount that the insurance company will pay for the injuries sustained by an individual whereas per accident bodily injury coverage is the maximum amount that the insurance company will pay out in order to cover all of the injuries of sustained in an accident. Another type of coverage that is required by New Mexico is property damage liability coverage, which will cover any damage that the policy holder causes to the property of other drivers in an accident. New Mexico requires that every vehicle be insured with at least $10,000 in per accident property damage coverage. If a New Mexico wishes to, they will generally have the option to purchase more coverage than is required by the state. Purchasing larger amounts of liability coverage may increase the price of the insurance policy premiums but it will also reduce the risk of the policy holder having to personally satisfy any financial obligations that extend from an at-fault accident.

In addition to liability coverage, which is the only type of coverage that is required in New Mexico, drivers also have the option to voluntarily purchase a few other types of coverage that will increase the overall financial protection they receive if they are in an accident. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is a popular type of optional coverage with many New Mexico residents because it protects them against uninsured and underinsured drivers. New Mexico residents with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage stand to receive financial benefits if they are involved in an accident and the at-fault driver is uninsured or does not have enough coverage to pay for all of the injuries or damage that they caused during the accident. Collision and comprehensive coverage is another type of coverage that is often added to insurance policies in New Mexico. Although from a legal standpoint collision and comprehensive coverage is optional most vehicles that are purchased with financing will be required to maintain a certain amount of collision and comprehensive coverage in order to satisfy the insurance requirements of the lender. Collision and comprehensive insurance is similar to property damage liability coverage except that it covers the physical damage to the policy holder’s vehicle and not the vehicle of another party involved in an accident. A less common type of coverage for New Mexico drivers is medical payments coverage, which will cover the medical payments for the policy holder and any passengers in the policy holder’s vehicle that are the result of an accident. Unlike most types of insurance coverage medical payments coverage is not fault based, meaning that is can be used regardless of who was at fault in an accident.

If a New Mexico resident does not wish to purchase an insurance policy that will satisfy state standards they always have the option of providing self coverage. In the case of New Mexico, drivers that want to self insure must be able to prove that they have at least $60,000 available with which to pay for any damages or injuries resulting from an accident that is their fault. If a driver in New Mexico cannot prove financial responsibility, either through an insurance policy or a self insurance certificate, when pulled over or involved in an accident they will susceptible to various penalties allowed under state law.  The most common penalty for driving without insurance in New Mexico is a fine up to $300. In some cases, such as a second offense, a New Mexico resident that is caught driving without car insurance and cannot prove financial responsibility through other means could also have their vehicle’s registration suspended. If an uninsured driver goes to court and cannot prove that they had insurance at the time of a traffic stop or accident they could be charged with a misdemeanor and face increased penalties.

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Pennsylvania Car Insurance

Last updated on November 20th, 2017

Pennsylvania Car Insurance – The state of Pennsylvania requires vehicle owners to purchase two types of car insurance in order to legally driver their vehicle on a public road. These two types of insurance are liability insurance, which is required by almost every state, and medical benefits coverage, also known as personal injury protection or first party coverage. Liability coverage and medical benefits coverage may function in much the same way and cover the same type of cost but they differ in who they provide financial relief to. Liability coverage protects a policy holder from claims made against them and will typically pay up to a certain amount for injuries or property damage suffered by drivers other than the policy holder. By its very definition liability coverage requires that the fault or an accident be placed on one driver or another. All drivers involved in an accident may have liability coverage but it is only the insurance company of the driver that is at fault that will have to pay for injuries and damages. If a Pennsylvania resident were to only carry liability coverage, a common situation in many states, if they were involved in an accident that was considered to be their fault their policy would cover the injuries and damages to others but not the injuries or property damage incurred by them or the passengers in the insured vehicle. In order to ensure that each resident is able to financially afford medical attention should they need it after a car accident the state of Pennsylvania requires residents to purchase medical benefits coverage with each auto insurance policy. Unlike liability coverage, medical benefits coverage will pay out to the policy holder and any passengers in the insured vehicle regardless of which driver was at fault in an accident.

In the state of Pennsylvania just carrying liability and medical benefits coverage isn’t enough to satisfy state car insurance requirements; each type of coverage must also be carried in a certain amount. The minimum amount of medical benefits required by Pennsylvania auto insurance law for example is $5,000 and in most cases a car insurance company in Pennsylvania will not add medical benefits coverage to a car insurance policy in any amount under $5,000. Liability coverage on the other hand is a bit more complex since it is broke down into three different types of coverage, each of which functions differently. The first type is bodily injury liability coverage for a single person, the minimum required amount of which is $15,000. Bodily injury coverage for a single person is the maximum amount that the insurance company will pay for injuries sustained by a second party in an accident caused by the policy holder. The next is bodily injury coverage per accident, with minimum limits set at $30,000 per insured vehicle. This is the total amount that the insurance company will pay for all accident related injuries sustained by secondary parties. The third type of liability coverage required by the state of Pennsylvania is property damage coverage, $5,000 of which is required in order for a policy to meet state standards. Pennsylvania drivers almost always have the option to purchase more coverage than the state requires so that they can reduce the chance that they will have to cover any costs of an accident not covered by their insurance company.

In an effort to reduce the amount of lawsuits stemming from car accidents in the state of Pennsylvania, as well an attempt to reduce car insurance premiums, Pennsylvania allows residents to choose whether or not they want full tort coverage. Resident that choose full tort coverage will any anywhere from 10%-20% more in insurance premiums every year but they also completely preserve their legal rights if they are involved in an accident. Residents that choose limited tort coverage will receive a significant discount in car insurance premiums but will also forfeit many of their rights, such as the right to file a law suit, if they are involved in an accident.

Unlike some states, which have systems that allow for direct communication between the DMV and insurance companies, Pennsylvania still requires driver to provide proof of insurance the old fashioned way with an insurance ID card. If a Pennsylvania resident is pulled over involved in an accident the law requires them to provide proof of insurance to the officer on the scene; failure to do so can result in a wide range of penalties. For first offenders the penalty for driving without insurance typically consists of a $300 fine and the suspension of the driver’s license and vehicle registration for up to three months. For a driver to have the suspensions lifted after the term is up an additional $100 in fines or reinstatement fees will have to be paid to the Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles.

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Utah Car Insurance

Last updated on November 20th, 2017

Utah Car Insurance – The state of Utah operates under a no-fault car insurance system, which means that in an accident each driver is technically supposed to be held responsible for their own injuries and damages despite who was at-fault. Despite its no-fault status Utah still requires residents to maintain a few types of coverage that are generally seen in at-fault car insurance systems. Because residents still have the opportunity to sue the at-fault driver in Utah and vehicles are required by law to maintain at-fault coverage Utah is generally viewed as a hybrid state in which the principals of the two car insurance systems are combined in order to provide the best car insurance system for residents possible.  As a no-fault state Utah requires residents to purchase a type of coverage, known as personal injury protection, which is not typically required in states that use an at-fault car insurance system. Unlike other forms of coverage, which are dependent on the placement of blame on a party before they can be activated, personal injury protection can be used no matter who is at fault and it will help pay for the injuries, and in some cases lost wages, which resulted from a car accident. In the state of Utah residents are required to purchase at least $3,000 of personal injury protection as part of their insurance policy in order to satisfy Utah’s minimum car insurance requirements.  Although $3,000 in the minimum amount of personal injury protection coverage required by the state this amount is so small that Utah insurance professionals recommend that most drivers purchase coverage in excess of state minimum requirements.

The no-fault portion of the Utah car insurance system requires that drivers insure their vehicles with liability coverage in addition to the personal injury protection coverage required by the no-fault portion of Utah’s insurance system. Unlike personal injury protection, which is payable directly to the policy holder, liability coverage is only payable to secondary parties and can only be used when the policy holder is involved in an accident and it is determined that they were at-fault. Despite Utah’s no-fault origins the state still allows blame to be place on a driver so that other parties involved in an accident, and their insurance companies, can attempt to get financial relief from the at-fault driver. The minimum amounts of liability coverage required by Utah State law currently sit at $25,000 in bodily injury coverage for a single person, $65,000 in bodily injury coverage for a single accident and $15,000 in property damage liability coverage. Bodily injury coverage generally covers many of the same things as personal injury protection, including medical bills, lost wages and even funeral costs. Property damage liability coverage on the other hand will cover damage to the property of other drivers which typically comes in the form of damage to the other motorist’s vehicle.  Liability coverage also differs from personal injury protection in that it cannot be activated until blame has been placed on the policy holder for an accident. Even if a Utah resident is involved in an accident and they have liability coverage the insurance company will refuse to pay for any injuries or damage sustained by other drivers until the police have determined which driver was at-fault. Although liability and personal injury protection are the only types of insurance required by the state of Utah many driver voluntarily elect to purchase optional coverage with their insurance policy In order to reduce the likelihood that they ill have to pay anything out of pocket for a car accident. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can be purchased by drivers that are worried about being involved in a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. In such a situation, even if the insured driver was not at fault they would likely end up having to cover the cost of their own injuries initially since the at-fault driver does not have the required coverage. Collision and comprehensive coverage is another type of optional coverage that is often purchased by Utah drivers. This coverage will cover the any damage to the insured vehicle, including damage that was a result of a car accident in which the policy holder was at-fault.

If at any time a Utah driver cannot provide proof that they have insurance on their vehicle they risk being penalized by both the DMV and law enforcement if they are caught. Driving uninsured is considered to be a Class B misdemeanor in the state of Utah and as such it uninsured drivers are punished with a $400 fine as well as the suspension of their driving privileges. Subsequent offenses will be punished with a fine of up to $1,000 and the mandatory suspension of the driver’s license and registration. Reinstatement of driving privileges often requires the driver to obtain an SR-22 form from their insurance company and pay any necessary reinstatement fees to the DMV.

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Vermont Car Insurance

Last updated on November 20th, 2017

Vermont Car Insurance – The state of Vermont requires that every vehicle registered with the state be covered with a variety of different types of insurance in order to be legally drivable on a public road. First and foremost Vermont requires that all vehicles be insured with a certain amount of liability insurance in case the driver of the vehicle is involved in an accident for which they are found to be at-fault. In the state of Vermont the at-fault driver in an accident is legally responsible for paying for all damages and injuries that occurred as a result of the accident. For this reason, the state requires liability coverage on every vehicle in order to make sure that every driver has the ability to pay for an accident if the need should arise. Without liability coverage the at-fault driver in an accident would be responsible for paying for the costs of an accident out of their own pocket, a financial burden which many Vermont motorists cannot afford to take on. In order for an insurance policy to meet Vermont State requirements it must include a minimum of $25,000 in bodily injury coverage for a single individual, $50,000 in bodily injury coverage for a single accident and $10,000 in property damage coverage. Bodily injury coverage is necessary because it will pay for the injuries of those involved in a car accident caused by the policy holder, though bodily injury liability coverage will not pay for any injuries to the policy holder or any passengers in the insured vehicle. If a Vermont resident wishes to have insurance coverage that covers their injuries as well as any injuries to their passengers in an at-fault accident they are free to purchase personal injury coverage for their auto insurance policy. Property damage liability coverage serves to pay for any property damage incurred by other drivers at the hands of the policy holder and like bodily injury coverage it cannot be used to pay for the property damage incurred by the policy holder or nay passengers in the insured vehicle at the time of the accident. The most common use of property damage liability coverage is to pay for the damage to other vehicles involved in an accident. Vermont motorists that wish to have insurance that will pay for the damage to their vehicles can purchase comprehensive and collision coverage. This type of coverage covers all type of damage to the insured vehicle including damage that was the result of an accident in which the policy holder was determined to be at fault.

In addition to liability coverage Vermont car insurance law also requires residents to purchase uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for every vehicle that will be driven on state roads. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is similar to bodily injury coverage in that it pays for many of the same things, including medical bills and wages lost due to injury. However, unlike bodily injury coverage uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is meant to be used only when the policy holder is involved in a car accident and the at fault driver either has no coverage at all or doesn’t have enough coverage to pay for the injuries sustained by the policy holder and passengers in the insured vehicle. The minimum amount of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage that a vehicle owner must have in Vermont currently sits at $25,000 for injuries to a single individual and $50,000 for all injuries resulting from a single accident.

Vermont State law requires that every resident needs to be able to provide proof of insurance upon request. Failure to provide this proof of insurance can result in a traffic citation, if it is an officer that is making the request, or denied access to certain government services, such as vehicle registration. Driving without insurance is against the law in the state of Vermont and those that are caught driving with no insurance face penalties that can be much more burdensome than the insurance premiums that the driver opted not to pay. A traffic citation for failure to provide proof of insurance in Vermont is typically accompanied by a $100 fine and possibly the suspension of the vehicle’s registration. If a policy holder allows their insurance to lapse they could have their registration suspended as well.

The only way a Vermont vehicle owner can legally avoid purchasing an insurance policy for their vehicle is to obtain a certificate of self-insurance. Evidence of self-insurance requires that the vehicle owner put down a $115,000 deposit with the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles as proof that they do have the financial resources to pay for any accident in which they are found to be at fault. Very few residents are able to provide proof of self insurance simply because the upfront cash required is more than the average person has on hand to waste.

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