No matter how cautious and guarded you are when driving you aren’t sure of what might possibly happen to you on the road. In a blink of an eye, an accident may happen to you. Are you well protected from the potential damage to your car and other?
Vehicle or auto insurance is one of the important things a car owner should consider. It is purchased to provide protection against the liability from vehicular accidents. For all areas it is imperative that motor vehicles should have insurance before going to public roads.
Purchasing car or auto insurance is quite hard thing to do especially if you are not sure of what kind of coverage you want to obtain. You must consider the policy and its price. Is the price worth for the coverage it comprises? The degree of the coverage varies greatly as to what circumstances are covered. Some auto insurance can cover the items stipulated in the policy like the insured party, vehicle, third parties or the passengers, third party and theft, while some can just cover the vehicle against theft, fire damage or accident damage alone.
The insurance carrier is another important thing to consider since he is the one who will be in-charge of taking care of your needs in case an accident happens to you. Research the company’s financial stability and how well they paid all their clients’ claims. Simple knowledge about their market status will be your guide in deciding on your car insurance.
Seek the help of your states department insurance website. Don’t hesitate to ask a lot of questions. If you’re buying through an insurance agent try to dig up as many answers regarding the auto insurance. Ask about the price and the claims covering it, and the things needed to be done when filing one.
Ask your family and friends. They are the most accurate source of information when it comes to buying auto insurance. Most likely, ask about the best company and what they like about it. There’s no harm in asking and knowing important facts for your safety.
Before buying any insurance it is imperative you know what cover you need before getting a quote. This is even more important if you go through an agent or get quotes over the phone. If you don’t know what you need the agent will only be too glad to sell you something you do not need and is too expensive.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Six things NOT to do after a car accident
A car accident can be a very traumatic experience in itself for drivers, and confusion regarding what to do and what not to do can make matters worse. If you find yourself in this unfortunate situation, make sure you don't do any of the things on this list.
1. Don’t admit fault. Even if you believe you are responsible for the accident, nothing will be gained by saying so to the other driver or a police officer. The fault of the accident will ultimately be determined by the insurance adjuster based on pre-determined guidelines set out in the Insurance Act. At the same time, do be sure to give the police officer an honest account of the facts when you are questioned.
2. Don’t argue with the other driver. Remain calm and give your account of the incident to the police officer.
3. Don’t leave your car in the middle of the road. If it is safe to do so, move the car off to the side of the road. If the car is not drivable, turn on the hazard lights.
4. Don’t be pressured by a tow truck driver. Some may demand immediate payment for the tow or may try to intimidate you into letting them tow your vehicle to a repair facility of their choice. Ask one of the police officers at the scene of the accident if they can refer you to a tow truck operator. Then ask the tow truck operator to tow your vehicle to a collision reporting facility.
5. Don’t authorize major repairs immediately. Wait until you speak to the insurance adjuster assigned to your insurance claim first. The adjuster may refer you to a repair facility with which your insurance company has an agreement. By using your insurer’s “preferred” repair facility, the repair may come with a guarantee which you may not have otherwise received by going somewhere else.
6. Don’t accept a direct offer of payment for damage from the other driver. If the damage seems minor, the other driver may want to settle with you right away, and not report it to your respective insurance companies. Be cautious in this situation, because there is no guarantee that the incident will not be reported by the other driver, even if you believe everything has been settled. It is also important to realize that settling for direct payment may not be as advantageous as it seems, especially if you are not at fault. In these instances the accident won’t affect your driving record nor will you have to pay a deductible.
Most importantly, don’t assume that just because you’ve been in an accident that you will always pay a lot for car insurance. Different insurance companies target different types of business and their rates can change up to four times per year. In fact, some insurance companies are focused on insuring drivers with less than perfect driving records. The challenge is finding those companies. Comparison sites like InsuranceHotline.com can help by instantly comparing the rates of over 30 insurance companies to find you the lowest rate available for your profile. It’s fast, safe and completely free to use.
1. Don’t admit fault. Even if you believe you are responsible for the accident, nothing will be gained by saying so to the other driver or a police officer. The fault of the accident will ultimately be determined by the insurance adjuster based on pre-determined guidelines set out in the Insurance Act. At the same time, do be sure to give the police officer an honest account of the facts when you are questioned.
2. Don’t argue with the other driver. Remain calm and give your account of the incident to the police officer.
3. Don’t leave your car in the middle of the road. If it is safe to do so, move the car off to the side of the road. If the car is not drivable, turn on the hazard lights.
4. Don’t be pressured by a tow truck driver. Some may demand immediate payment for the tow or may try to intimidate you into letting them tow your vehicle to a repair facility of their choice. Ask one of the police officers at the scene of the accident if they can refer you to a tow truck operator. Then ask the tow truck operator to tow your vehicle to a collision reporting facility.
5. Don’t authorize major repairs immediately. Wait until you speak to the insurance adjuster assigned to your insurance claim first. The adjuster may refer you to a repair facility with which your insurance company has an agreement. By using your insurer’s “preferred” repair facility, the repair may come with a guarantee which you may not have otherwise received by going somewhere else.
6. Don’t accept a direct offer of payment for damage from the other driver. If the damage seems minor, the other driver may want to settle with you right away, and not report it to your respective insurance companies. Be cautious in this situation, because there is no guarantee that the incident will not be reported by the other driver, even if you believe everything has been settled. It is also important to realize that settling for direct payment may not be as advantageous as it seems, especially if you are not at fault. In these instances the accident won’t affect your driving record nor will you have to pay a deductible.
Most importantly, don’t assume that just because you’ve been in an accident that you will always pay a lot for car insurance. Different insurance companies target different types of business and their rates can change up to four times per year. In fact, some insurance companies are focused on insuring drivers with less than perfect driving records. The challenge is finding those companies. Comparison sites like InsuranceHotline.com can help by instantly comparing the rates of over 30 insurance companies to find you the lowest rate available for your profile. It’s fast, safe and completely free to use.
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