Reader question:

If you’re riding in a car and they get in an accident, and you’re not the driver but just a passenger, then whose car insurance coverage takes care of you, theirs or your own?

Michelle

Thank you for asking, Michelle.

It will depend on who is at fault in the accident, but it will almost never be your own car insurance coverage. You see, the required minimum for almost all states says that you have to have coverage for the damage done to multiple people, which would include passengers. So, if you get into a car insurance accident, you would be covered under that type of car insurance coverage.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

How do I find out what type of car insurance coverage I need in my state?

Errol

Thank you for your question, Errol.

There are plenty of ways that you can do this. The first way is that you can go to your state department of motor vehicles website and normally there will be information about what types of car insurance coverage you need and how much of it, along with a length to the state department of insurance’s website which will give you a list of car insurance providers who are licensed. You can also just ask your car insurance agent themselves.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

Who all is covered by my high performance car insurance coverage?

Mary

Who do you want it to cover?

That may sound like I’m kidding, but I’m not. Most car insurance companies will extend coverage to anyone you give permission to, even to somebody you did not give permission to drive your high performance car, but who had reasonable stance to believe that you would have given them permission if they had asked. Your high performance car insurance coverage follows the car, not the person, so whoever lawfully drives that car such as a friend or a family member or someone you live with, is covered by your policy.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

If you get into an accident but you don’t have a valid driver’s license, can you still file a car insurance claim?

May

Thank you for asking, May.

It depends on what the circumstances are. If the car belongs to somebody else and they give you permission to drive, then you would be able to file a car insurance claim regardless of the status of your driver’s license or learner’s permit. Of course, if you were at fault for the accident, then that would depend on whether or not that person had full car insurance coverage.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

I’m a student in my first semester of college and I have a muscle car. Thing is, I can’t afford car insurance on it because the car insurance rates are too high. I would work more to be able to afford it, but I have to study so much that I can’t. What do I do?

Allen

Thank you for asking, Allen.

There is a discount car insurance rate for people in your situation. You say you study a lot, so if that information is actually being processed by your brain, then I would assume that you get some pretty decent grades. If that is the case, then you might be able to qualify for a good student discount from your car insurance company. If you have a B average or a 3.5 GPA or above, then you can qualify for this discount with most companies.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

When my car is declared a total loss when I file a car insurance claim, do I have any options about what happens to it?

Rico

Thank you for your question, Rico.

It depends on how badly you want to have a car to drive, really. Many people become extremely attached to their high performance cars, and so even after they have been declared a total loss and a car insurance claim settlement has been given, would be unwilling to give the car up completely. If you choose, you can keep the car, take the settlement for its actual cash value and try to fix it. Or you can just give it up, let it be junked, and try to buy yourself a new vehicle.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

When I total my car, what does my car insurance company do with the remains?

Gregory

Thank you for your question, Gregory.

After a caris declared a total loss, your high performance car insurance company will make the settlement for your claim with you, and then what they will do is sell the vehicle for parts. Normally they can make pretty good money from selling your vehicle for parts, and some of that money will find its way into your car insurance claim.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

If I’m sitting at a stop light and the car behind me runs into me, making me get into a car insurance accident with the car in front of me, then am I at fault?

Marie

Yes, actually, you are.

I agree that it isn’t very fair that you would be considered at fault even if you did not really cause the car insurance accident in this situation, but te circumstances would have to be much more drastic for you to be excused from hitting the other car. You see, as a driver it is your responsibility to keep at least three seconds behind the car in front of you. If you had done so, you probably wouldn’t have been close enough to the other car to hit it.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

If you get into an at fault car insurance accident, but it’s the other driver who is at fault, and you don’t have car insurance yourself, then what happens?

Judy

That’s a great question, Judy.

There’s really no difference in what would happen at all for the most part, considering that when you are not at fault for an accident then you will be dealing only with the other person’s car insurance company. You might have to worry about a ticket from the officer filing a police report, but beyond that, nothing. However, if you are in a no fault car insurance state, then things get more complicated should you be injured in the accident and have nowhere to file a personal injury protection claim.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

If there is a hit and run, whose car insurance coverage takes care of the damage?

John

Depends. Did you catch ‘em?

If you catch the running driver, then obviously their own car insurance coverage will take car of the damages. However, chances are that since they ran they did not have car insurance coverage. In this case, either you could file a claim under your uninsured motorist coverage or your collision coverage, or, if you have neither of those, you would then have to try to file a lawsuit against the driver. If you did have those, then your car insurance company would do this for you.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.