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

Reader’s Question:

When an accident occurs and you don’t receive proof of car insurance, name, or address from the other motorist who hit you and they file a claim against you, can you turn them in for failing to show you with proof of their car insurance? I live in Houston Texas.

Bill

Houston, TX

If a law enforcement officer was not contacted or did not respond then there is really no recourse you have to obtain this information.

All accidents should be reported to your insurance carrier in Houston TX even if the police are not called. In this manner, they have a record of your side of the accident. This also protects you from incidents such as the one you mention wherein the information later changes and they file a claim against you. You should contact your insurance carrier, if you have not yet, and tell them what happened. At this point, it will be up to a claims adjuster to decide whether or not an insurance claim can be made against your auto insurance policy. The same would also apply to the other party’s insurance company.

Tags: auto insurance claims, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

How much does your auto insurance rate rise in Houston Texas if you are at fault in an accident and the other driver claims injuries?

Sam

Houston, TX

There is no specific amount your auto insurance in Houston may increase but generally you might expect a 10% to 15% increase in your auto insurance rate premiums. Insurance providers are required to file their car insurance rates and rules with state regulatory bodies such as the Department of Insurance. In most situations, they impose a surcharge or charge ‘points’ to motorists who have been charged with an accident and/or who have made an insurance claim against their car insurance policy. So, there is no standard law that dictates that an insurance carrier can increase your car insurance rate premiums due to an accident. It’s just a matter of how the car insurance rates are filed and passed on to you as a result of an accident.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance rate

Reader’s Question:

This is my first time to buy car insurance? How much should I be expecting? Please help.

Morgan

Houston, TX

When it is your first time purchasing car insurance you need to educate yourself with requirements in Houston Texas and the the types of coverage you need.

Rating factors such as the amount of time you have been licensed will likely affect your car insurance quotes. For instance, normally a person that is an inexperienced driver and is purchasing car insurance for the first time will pay more than a long time experienced licensed driver that has been under other people’s insurance policies and is now purchasing their own car insurance policy.

Generally though, the average annual cost, according to the Insurance Information Institute for car insurance premiums nationwide in 2007 was estimated at $847 per insurance policy. Thus a new, inexperienced driver like you may expect to pay about twice the average.

You can get car insurance quote here by entering your zip code and other basic information. Good thing is that there is no limit to the number of free quotes you can get.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance quotes, First time driver car insurance

Reader’s Question:

My boyfriend was driving my car over the past weekend. He got pulled over for speeding and also received a drunk driving violation (DUI) and driving without a license in Houston Texas. How will this affect my auto insurance rate?

Kelly

Houston, TX

Generally, any tickets your friends receive while driving your car will not affect your auto insurance rates. The tickets for speeding, drunk driving and driving without a license should all have been issued to your boyfriend in Houston TX, the driver, and not the car, so typically will show up on his driving record and affect him.

If your boyfriend had an accident while driving your vehicle it would have affected your auto insurance since most likely it would be your insurance that would have to pay out on claims resulting from a crash.

Tags: auto insurance, car, car insurance rate, DUI, traffic school

Reader’s Question:

I know in my state, there is a different penalty for a DWI arrest with a child inside the car. Is this kind of DWI offense more serious than the DWI arrest that caused harm to someone in Texas?

William

Houston, TX

Thanks for asking William. The state of Texas has enacted a variety of different laws and regulations that are each designed to help eliminate the increasing number of DWI accidents, injuries, and fatalities occurring within the state by making it less appealing for underage individuals to purchase alcohol, less appealing for people over the age of 21 to sell alcohol to underage individuals, and less appealing for individuals to drive while intoxicated.

DWI is always considered to be a serious and major offense, but driving with a child in the car while intoxicated is considered to be a much more serious offense. If an individual is pulled over and had DWI arrest and there was a child under the age of 15 present in the car, the driver will be arrested for felony DWI. An individual convicted of felony DWI will receive a minimum of 180 days in jail to a maximum of two years in jail and may be imposed with up to a $10,000 fine. It is also important to keep in mind that the individual may be charged with other crimes related to the well-being and safety of the child in the car depending on the specific situation.

Even though the act of DWI with a child present in the car is considered to be an extremely serious offense, it is not the most serious alcohol-related offense for which an individual can be charged. If an individual is involved in a motor accident in which someone was seriously injured or harmed and it is determined that the individual was driving while intoxicated, the individual will be arrested for DWI and for intoxication assault.

Reader’s Question:

I live in Houston, Texas and was charged a DWI offense last month. How long will a DWI offense stay on my record and will it affect my insurance rates?

Carrie

Houston, TX

Thank you for asking Carrie. All alcohol related offenses are crimes, and are classified as either misdemeanors or felonies. Thus a DWI arrest will remain on your record for life.

In Texas, a DWI arrest will generally remain on your record past your lifetime. It is never removed unless you receive a pardon from the governor or the legislature changes the laws regarding the expunction of records. Thus, the DWI offense on your record will never go away. If you are found not guilty by a jury or by the court, you may be eligible to have the arrest and prosecution records destroyed through deletion. If you are concerned about having a criminal record for employment or credit purposes, you may consult a DWI attorney about fighting the charge.
Just so you know, it may take approximately 10 business days for the results of a criminal history record check, once the information is received by Texas Department of Public Safety. However, this government agency cannot guarantee the amount of time it may take to receive this information through the postal service.

As for the insurance, a DWI conviction will usually raise your rates from 300% to 500% for 5 or more years. Your insurance provider may have the option to cancel your coverage, forcing you to find another insurance provider. Moreover, most insurance companies will stop considering drunk driving convictions in accessing auto insurance rates after a period of years.