Reader’s Question:

Is there any way I can get car insurance even if I don’t have a driver’s license here in Iowa? I only have a learner’s permit.

Abner

Houston, TX

Abner, not only are you allowed to get a car insurance even if you only have a learner’s permit, you are obligated to have one. Since you have a learner’s permit, it is implicit that you are already driving around Texas and you may already have a car. If you are already a member of the driving population, then it is your responsibility to have car insurance coverage that will take care of things if, heaven forbid, you figure in an accident. Car insurance will take care of you, your car and the people and things affected by the car accident.

You will have to shop around for a car insurance company that will offer you coverage. It would be much harder to offer you a quotation as there is no car to base the premium rate from. Usually, the risk factor on which the car insurance premium rate is based is calculated with you and the car in mind. They’d check if you are a high risk driver, and then see if your car belongs to a high risk category also. You see, some types of cars belong to the high risk category. These are cars that are statistically prone to theft and also high powered cars.

Tags: auto insurance coverage, Car Insurance Company, car insurance quotes, driving without insurance

Reader’s Question:

My friend recently got in a car accident in Texas with a rented vehicle and according to her, it was the other party’s fault. Since neither of the cars (hers and the other driver’s car) are insured, they both decided not to inform the police. What would happen she is caught for not having a car insurance here in Texas?

Ben

Houston TX

Without an insurance for a rented car, your friend will likely have to pay the cost of repairing the vehicle and the rental lost since the car will be out of commission. Since the other party is at fault in the accident, your friend may have to bring the case to court if the person at-fault is not willing
to pay the damages instead of making a claim to the at-fault party’s insurance provider should that driver’s car was insured.

In Texas, the minimum requirement is $25,000.00 for every person injured, $50,000.00 for every accident and $25,000.00 for property damage. This law, which took effect on April 1, 2008, is referred to as 25/50/25.

Failure to comply to this law will result in a penalty ranging from $175 to $350 for the first conviction. The fines for the succeeding convictions ranges from $350 to $1,000. Your driver’s license can also be suspended and your car be impounded. For more information on this matter, you can check the Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act in the Texas Transportation Code Chapter 601.

Aside from the required reinstatement fees as part of the administrative actions due to this conviction, there are also surcharges, which the Department of Public Safety assess according to the traffic volation. The surcharge for having without a car insurance is $250 a year for three years.

Your friend can seek legal advice if the driver who is at fault does not want to pay the damages.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance, driving without insurance

Reader’s Question:

What will happen if a person gets into a driving violation while driving an insured vehicle in Houston, Texas and he is excluded from the policy of that vehicle?

Amanda

Houston, TX

In general, insurance companies do not cover persons who are excluded in insurance policies even during the time of an accident. This rule is being practiced not just in Houston, TX but in other parts of Texas, as well. This is for the reason that only those who are included in the policy have the guarantee to cover future damages and that those who are excluded would have to be personally liable for the incident, and this may sound risky especially since the person’s financial liquidity would have to be considered.

So, in cases wherein the excluded driver was found to be at fault, the driver and the owner of the vehicle will both be held accountable for the damages. If the excluded driver is part of the owner’s household, the owner may have to consult with his or her insurance company to see if the excluded driver could be included in the policy so as to avoid the same scenario.

As for the violation, the penalty will only be given to the excluded driver and the incident listed only in his records. Likewise, the incident will not have an effect to the owner’s insurance policy rates since he or she was not the one who caused the accident. However, in a case wherein the other driver is included in the owner’s policy and was found to be at fault, the rates of the insurance policy would likely be affected.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

I am planning to borrow my friend’s car in Houston Texas, do I have to have my own insurance even if the vehicle is already insured.

James

Houston TX

Showing proof of insurance for an automobile is sufficient if that car insurance covers you for operating the vehicle. So if you are going to borrow your friend’s vehicle in Houston Texas and they have to read over their car insurance policy and verified with their car insurance company to be sure that you are covered under this car insurance policy if you were to be in an accident then showing the insurance card for the automobile would typically be enough for police officer if requested.

According to the Washington State insurance regulator, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, the law requires anyone operating an automobile in the state of Washington to have a car insurance policy, a liability bond or a certificate of deposit, to the required limits. The Washington State insurance regulator states that if you get pulled over by a police officer, you need to show an insurance identification card showing that either the automobile or you are insured.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance rate