Reader’s Question:

I just need to understand some more things about car insurance because I am about to purchase one here in Oklahoma. What does bodily injury coverage in car insurance mean?

Salvador

East Canadian, OK

There are two very essential things to be taken into account when making a decision on bodily insurance coverage for car insurance — one is that it is mandated by law and it would give financial protection. To put it plain and simple, bodily injury coverage will cover the costs related with injury or fatality to other people because of a car crash that you’re caught up with. Also, it gives legal defense in the event that the other party sues you. It will give protection as well for the passengers in your car but it doesn’t cover your car or anybody who is listed as a driver in your car insurance policy in Oklahoma.

Bodily injury coverage does not just provide protection for the costs of injury but it also consists of conditions for loss of income and also pain and suffering. Bodily injury coverage is required in almost all of the states and the amount of coverage is mandated by the state as well. A car insurance agent, who is competently skilled in the field of car insurance, would be your best bet to figure out how much coverage you need. The vital things to be taken into account are the financial effects in case you’re underinsured and the capacity to use your personal assets in the event of a judgement.

Tags: bodily injury coverage, car insurance, car insurance agent

Reader’s Question:

I am soon to buy my dream vintage car that of course I have to insure. Is there some kind of special insurance needed for it or can I just buy regular insurance here in Oklahoma?

Carter

Edmond, OK

Those who are new owners of vintage or classic vehicles must be meticulous in researching the best way to cover their collectible cars prior to going off the road. Vintage vehicles are manufactured 30 or more years before so they have extraordinary needs that are different from conventional automobiles. Ordinary-use vehicles can be driven any day of the week; however, vintage cars are usually driven for recreation driving, car shows and organized events.

According to auto insurance professionals, vintage car owners must buy car insurance coverage for their precious vehicle separately from car insurance coverage that gives protection for their ordinary-use automobiles. That is because normal-use automobiles decrease in value over time but a lot of vintage vehicles increase in value so they have to be covered appropriately. Just like a everyday-use car insurance, a vintage car insurance usually consists vital coverage such as liability, collision, comprehensive, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and medical payments or personal injury protection. You can also buy collision and comprehensive coverage for your vintage car insurance but it is not required in the state of Oklahoma.

Tags: auto liability insurance, car insurance, collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, vintage car

Reader’s Question:

We called the police after being in an accident which I didn’t cause and the officer declared that the damage to my car was only small. The other driver and I decided that we can settle it ourselves only to find out that it will cost me thousands to repair my car. What’s worse is that the other driver’s insurer here in Oklahoma denied my claim because they said that the accident wasn’t their client’s fault. How can I battle the other driver who lied about what happened during the accident?

Callum

Norman, OK

Too bad that you took the officer’s word that the damage to your car after of the accident was small so he just shoo away from the scene leaving you a feeling of relief that nothing more terrible has happened. And now, you just found out that you need a lot more than what the officer’s estimates of the damage to your car. You probably did not consider getting eyewitnesses and you are sure that the other driver committed a traffic violation that why the accident took place. At this time, it’s your word against the other driver and for sure his insurer will stand behind him. You may also have difficulty changing the insurance provider’s position if you don’t have any proof to defend your account of what happened.

You could demand the other driver’s insurer in Oklahoma to show you how the accident could have taken place as their client said so. Otherwise, in case it is a small enough claim and you have a spare time, you could take the other party to small claims court. Beyond that, the greatest chance you have is to get an attorney. Car insurance providers are aware that if you are determined and got a lawyer, they could still deny your claim, or they may tell you that they would get back at you. And as long as this goes on, the longer the insurance company hold onto their money and the higher chance you’re going to have a negotiation.

Tags: car insurance, car insurance claims

Reader’s Question:

I’m not really thinking that I’ll get into an accident because I don’t want it to happen but I know that it’s a possibility. In case I’ll be involved in such and my car will be declared as a total loss, do I have the right to tell my auto insurance company here in Oklahoma not to auction it and let me keep it?

Adam

Oklahoma City, OK

Getting into an accident is one of the things a driver is really not thinking about. However, you have to be concerned that it can happen especially if you are looking around for a car insurance policy. If your car is declared as total, you may not agree with your auto insurance company regarding their evaluation of the damages. But the question still stands as to what happens if you want to keep your car. When you purchase a car insurance policy, you sign an agreement with the car insurance provider. You could not push your insurance provider to make a payment for more than the value of your car. However, you are intended to be “made whole” by the insurance company, which means you must be put back into reasonably the same place that you were prior to the accident.

In case your vehicle is totaled but you’d like to repair it anyhow, you must be able to hold on to it. Your car insurance company in Oklahoma nevertheless has to compensate you in your vehicle’s actual cash value, less the deductible. You must inform the claims adjuster that you want to hold on to your vehicle. Be sure to think it over because you now have to pay for the repairs yourself.

Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance company, car insurance policy

Reader’s Question:

I have some kind of disagreement with my car insurance company here in Oklahoma regarding a claim that I filed and I already plan to take the matter to court. I was advised that I can go through mediation first, what exactly is that?

Garrick

Norman, OK

Mediation can very well be of assistance if you have a disagreement with your car insurance provider regarding a claim that you filed. A mediator should be someone who will not take sides to aid both parties to reach a settlement. This mediator doesn’t have the power to provide a binding resolution nor give out a grant to either party. The mediator is just there to suggest a resolution to the problem. Mediation will be an excellent first thing to do if both you and your car insurance company in Oklahoma agree to partake since it could wipe out the need for more harm on both parties.

To be able to mediate a car insurance claim, the primary thing you must do is go over the writing in your car insurance policy. Majority of car insurance policies interprets who would mediate a car insurance claim. You will have to submit a Demand for Arbitration document to whoever is indicated in your car insurance policy. This kind of document is available from Oklahoma’s department of insurance and you can indicate there whether you would like mediation or arbitration. You may very well seek legal consultation with your lawyer about the mediation process and he/she could be present at any mediation sessions.

Tags: advice, car insurance, car insurance claims

Reader’s Question:

I see a lot of options in my search online for an auto insurance company. How would I know that I’ll end up with a trustworthy company for my car insurance coverage here in North Cleveland, Oklahoma?

Nima

North Cleveland, OK

You probably now have the perfect idea as to what insurance coverage you need and know the price to tone with it. But there is one more thing that you shouldn’t forget to do - choose the right auto insurance company. Choosing the right company for your auto insurance in North Cleveland, Oklahoma is as challenging as choosing the right coverage and getting cheaper premium rates. You already know as well as to which insurer offers the cheapest premiums, but don’t forget to do a little research on what they usually do when a customer files an insurance claim. For that reason, you need to know which insurance provider is the most dependable and trustworthy.

You could follow these steps:

–You may go online at the Oklahoma department of insurance and take a look at the consumer complaint ratios.

–Work with an insurance agent to find some details concerning a specific insurance provider.

–Take a look at the insurance provider’s financial strength ratings by visiting websites of independent rating companies.

–Check online for certain reviews of experts and comments from consumers regarding a particular insurer.

Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance company

Reader’s Question:

My teenage daughter has already gotten her learner’s permit here in East Canadian, Oklahoma. Am I gonna be obliged to add her as a named driver in my car insurance policy?

Nevaeh

East Canadian, OK

Your teenage daughter must have been so thrilled to have her learner’s permit and be able to drive legally in East Canadian, Oklahoma. I’m pretty sure that you have thought her on how to be responsible on the road. With regard to adding her as a named driver in your car insurance, you can actually hold your fire until she already has her driver’s license. Majority of the car insurance providers do not require parents to include their teenager to their policy until they are licensed. But there can be some exclusion such as if you’re in a high-risk pool, you could have your teenager listed on your policy once they have their permit.

In case your teen daughter gets her driver’s license but you fail to tell your auto insurance provider that you have a teen driver and you filed a claim for her following an accident, she would still be covered. However, your insurer will be unconstrained to then charge back the premiums from the period that your daughter got her driver’s license. Summing up, you are not mandated to add your teen daughter to your insurance policy just because she is already on her driving age.

Tags: car insurance, driver’s license, learner driver, teen car insurance

Reader’s Question:

I have heard several cases of car insurance fraud here in Midwest City, Oklahoma. How does this usually happen and how do you think I can avoid it?

Taylor

Midwest City, OK

Car insurance fraud has become a very big problem not only in Midwest City, Oklahoma but also in the whole US in recent years. This usually results in having higher car insurance premiums. You can start protecting yourself by having knowledge on how criminals put on accidents, driving defensively and what you need to do in case of an accident.

Be conscious on the situations that may out you in danger of becoming a victim of a accident. For example, a vehicle unexpectedly cuts off the vehicle in front of you. The vehicle in front of you would of course, step on his brakes and if you are behind too closely, you could not stop soon enough and rear end him. You can always protect yourself from this kind of swindle by having a lot distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. You need to report any kind of accident to your car insurance provider. Do not try to resolve at the accident site, especially with cash. Get the names, addresses and contact numbers of all the people on vehicle of the other party (there may a lot of them in a staged accident) as well as all the witnesses.

Tags: car insurance

Reader’s Question:

What is the difference between collision and comprehensive coverage? Will they have the same auto insurance premiums in East Canadian Oklahoma OK?

Caroline

East Canadian Oklahoma OK

They will not have the same auto insurance premiums, Caroline, this will never happen – not in East Canadian Oklahoma OK and not anywhere else. Collision coverage is just a component of comprehensive coverage. You can have collision coverage as a stand-alone, but you can not have comprehensive coverage without collision coverage because it is already built in the policy. Collision pays for the damages to yourself and to your car resulting form a crash, and does not take into account who has initiated the crash. Whether it was you or the other driver, collision coverage will still pay for the expenses. This is usually an add-one to the mandatory liability insurance which is like collision coverage, but only pays for the damages to the offended party and property. Comprehensive insurance includes these two coverage and more. Say your car was stolen while you were shopping around East Canadian Oklahoma OK. You can not claim reimbursement for this through liability or collision coverage because there was no collision. Only comprehensive coverage can pay for stolen cars and so it is really ideal to have this type of coverage. By logic, comprehensive insurance will always have higher premiums than collision coverage. You can see how much these things cost from this page by just entering your zip code on the space at the top.

Tags: auto insurance, collision insurance coverage, comprehensive insurance coverage

Reader’s Question:

Can you please explain to me once again the importance of the sets of numbers I see on my auto insurance policy in Lawton Oklahoma OK?

Vanessa

Lawton Oklahoma OK

No problem, Vanessa, I can explain as often as you want. The numbers you see are the liability limits usually written this way – 20/40/10. It represents the amount in thousand dollars you can claim against your insurer in Tulsa Oklahoma OK when you are involved in a vehicular accident that was due to your wrongdoing. The first number - 20 for $20,000 - is the limit for bodily injury per person. It can pay for the hospitalization, medical bills, therapies and other items related to the recovery from injury resulting from the crash. The second number – 40 for $40,000 – is the limit for bodily injury expense per accident. So you should pray that the vehicle you will be crashing into will only have two passengers, otherwise you’d have to find the cash to pay them elsewhere. Or if they are more than two, you should pray that their total medical expenses will be less than $40,000. The third number – 10 for $10,000 – is the limit of the money you can claim from your insurer to repair the damages you have caused. It can be another car, somebody’s bike, a fence, any property that was damaged because of you.

I only used this set of numbers as an example for easy illustration. You can definitely have higher liability limits in Tulsa Oklahoma OK. You can try getting them from his page by shopping online, which is easily done by entering your zip code on the space provided.

Don’t hesitate to contact me again, Vanessa, if this is still unclear, or there is another matter you’d like to clarify.

Tags: auto insurance