Do I need to buy car insurance insurance before I purchase a new commercial vehicle in Anaheim, CA?

Diane

Anaheim, CA

If this is your first vehicle, yes, you will have to purchase car insurance before you drive your new automobile in Anaheim, CA off the dealer’s lot. If you are financing the purchase, the lien holder will require that you purchase an insurance policy with collision and comprehensive coverage.

If you already have a car insurance policy, and you are replacing a car generally it will cover your new vehicle for a few days (regulated by each individual state and/or company). Once that period is over, check with your insurance carrier to confirm that the new automobile has been added to your car insurance policy.

I lease 2 vehicles and have auto insurance on both cars in Brookline, MA. My girlfriend drives one of the vehicles but canceled her insurance because neither vehicle is in her name. Does she still need insurance or are the vehicles insured under my auto insurance policy even though she is driving it? She is not listed on my policy.

Paul

Brookline, MA

Insurance carrier’s guidelines and insurance policy terms very so you need to verify with your specific insurance carrier to make sure that your girlfriend is covered when she drives your vehicles. You would not want her to get into an accident while driving one of your vehicles only to find out that she was not covered properly by your insurance company.

It is likely that your insurance company in  MA will require her to be added to your car insurance policy since it appears that he is using one or both of your leased vehicles on a frequent basis.

Can I get a separate insurance policy with a different insurance company for an additional car in the household? I planning purchase another vehicle and add my 18-year old son as an occasional driver. My current insurance provider said that my car insurance rates will double because they said the car that I am planning to purchase will be driven primarily by my son. I checked different quotes with a different insurance company with myself as the insured and my son as an additional driver and the quote was very low. We live in Baldwin Park California.

Michelle

Baldwin Park, CA

Yes, you can purchase a separate insurance policy for the new car from a different car insurance company in some situations but all insurance providers have to be informed of all drivers and exclude them or rate them on the their car insurance policy.

Additionally, many insurance companies will require the liability limits to be the same on all insurance policies because both policies can be held responsible in certain car insurance claim situations.

You may shop around for car insurance quotes for all the cars to be placed on one insurance policy online.

If I were to get a work as a pizza delivery driver in Watertown, South Dakota, do I need to buy additional car insurance to cover me while on the job?

Snyder

Watertown, SD

According to the South Dakota Department of Insurance most personal car insurance policies will exclude coverage for the car while it is being used for “business purposes” such as pizza delivery. Many car insurance policies in fact have exclusion for using your vehicle for delivery purposes like this.

You can talk with your insurance agent if your personal vehicle insurance policy will cover you as a delivery boy, but likely it will not. The restaurant you work for may already have car insurance liability protection for this kind of activity to cover the restaurant’s exposure. This may however not protect you if an accident happens. The restaurant will typically require additional insurance to protect themselves if you are negligent.

How much auto insurance coverage is required by law in the state of North Carolina?

Stewart

Cary, NC

According to the North Carolina Financial Responsibility Laws , Automobile Liability coverage should be maintained. The minimum requirements of liability auto insurance for private passenger automobile in the state of North Carolina are 30/60/25. These limits stand for $30,000 for bodily injury for one person per accident up to $60,000 and $25,000 for property damage occurring per accident.

North Carolina insurance providers and their insurance agents are required to offer Uninsured Motorist and Combined Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage. If you do not want to have this coverage, it has to be rejected in writing.

What are the penalties for driving a vehicle without car insurance in Virginia?

Rhonda

Suffolk, VA

Virginia car owners who are uninsured or have not paid the UMV fee will have their vehicle registration and driving privileges suspended. To have your license reinstated the driver must pay a $500 statutory fee, file a an SR-22 or Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate with the Department of Motor Vehicle for three years and pay a reinstatement fee.

Being cited for driving uninsured will result in fines, cancellation of the registration on all cars that you own or co-own and suspension of your driver’s license. To check the amount of your fine, call the court listed on the citation since the amount can differ depending on the jurisdiction in which you received the ticket. Some VA courts have a system in which you can pay the fine online.

If I have four vehicles and four licensed motorists does each person need to be listed as a primary driver on one of the vehicles?

Patty

Waterloo, IA

Normally, it will depend upon state insurance laws and the insurance provider’s own underwriting rules and guidelines to determine if each motorist must be a primary on a car or not.

Generally, it is up to the individual insurance company to decide about principal or primary motorists and occasional motorists and how they must be listed on the insurance policy. Not all insurance carriers use the rating terms primary or principal motorist.

With insurance providers that do use these terms then typically they will consider someone as the primary driver on the policy if he or she is the registered owner of the car, drives the car to school or work, or drives the car more than anyone else.

I have a car insurance policy. Do I need to reimburse the car insurance company for the medical payments?

Shelley

Boise, ID

Insurance carriers differ on their rules and guidelines however medical insurance on car insurance policies usually only pays in excess of what your primary or personal medical insurance does not pay.

If your primary medical insurance paid and you were also reimbursed by your car insurance company for the same medical bill you might owe them money back. However if the car insurance medical coverage did what it is intended to do, pay the excess that your primary medical insurance did not cover, you should be fine. If you need more information concerning your specific policy you may speak your insurance provider.

I am a new driver and only have a learners permit and I am trying to obtain car insurance. Is it possible for me to get auto insurance if I only have a learner’s permit?

Robbie

Billings, MT

Yes, it is possible to get an insurance policy with a learner’s permit with certain insurance providers.

Typically, you will either need a drivers license or be able to obtain one within 30-45 days. The insurance providers will probably make you obtain a regular driver’s license within 30 days of your policy’s inception date depending on your age,. Plus, if you only have a learner’s permit, the insurance providers may require you take out the insurance policy with a motorist on it who has a regular operator’s license.

If your parents already have an insurance policy, you should check if you can be added to their policy for coverage.

I am moving to San Jose, California and I would like to know if car insurance is cheaper there than in New Jersey? What is the point system like in California?

Allan

San Jose, CA

This will depend on different factors if your insurance rates will be cheaper in California than in New Jersey. On the average though California car insurance can be more cheaper than NJ auto insurance.

The average insurance rate in 2003 for a California motorist was $950 while in New Jersey the average was $1,365. That year the national average was $914.

The insurance coverages for California and New Jersey are a quiet different. While liability limits are both set at 15/30/5, personal injury insurance (PIP) is an optional coverage in CA and NJ requires $15,000 worth of PIP to be purchased