Cheap Car Insurance Company in Houston

Reader’s Question:

This car insurance agent called up my home number offering some pretty unbelievably cheap car insurance Houston rates. I expressed interest, but I suspect it’s a scam. What do I do?

Jackson

Houston, TX

Indeed, the agent from that particular company offering cheap car insurance Houston rates is, indeed, suspicious. But don’t call the police just yet. Here are some ways to protect yourself and verify if the agent is legit or not:

• Don’t give information – don’t give out bank accounts or credit card numbers over the phone or on the internet, whether you think the agent’s suspicious or not, not until everything checks out with the agent.

• Check with the Texas Department of Insurance – if a company’s licensed with the TDI, it’s a safe bet that they’re legit. Do not ever, ever sign up with an insurance company that’s not licensed in the TDI. Also, be very careful when it comes to the exact name of a company: “Insurance Company X, Inc.” is a different corporate entity than “Insurance Company X.”

• Check with the insurance company – even if the company is licensed with the TDI, the ‘agent’ that’s calling you may be bogus. Get the full name of the agent, get the contact details of the company from the TDI and give them a call or send them an e-mail.

True, it’s not good to pass up on a good deal, but it’s even worse to fall prey to fraudulent insurance or scams. These three steps by themselves won’t do much apparent good, but they’re the baby steps for you to protect yourself from harm. Use them well.

Liability Only Car Insurance Will it Cover Hit and Run Accident?

Reader’s Question:

I got involved in a hit and run in Houston.  I got the other person’s license plate number. I have the liability car insurance on my vehicle which will not cover a hit and run. How can I know out if the individual that hit me has car insurance or not?

Anna

Houston, TX

If you have not yet reported the hit and run you should do so as soon as possible by calling the Houston law enforcement agency so they can investigate. With the license plate number you have for the at-fault motorist in the hit and run, hopefully the police can track down the owner of the vehicle.

According to the Texas Department of Insurance, your uninsured motorist coverage will pay for your damage in a hit and-run accident only if the accident is reported to the police. Even if you don’t have this type of coverage it is likely if you find the at-fault car owner their insurance provider will require a police report on the accident.

If the motorist is found and the car owner takes responsibility then you should be able to place a claim with their insurance company. If instead the police are only able to find the owner of the car then you may need to check with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to see if they will release information on the person’s car insurance information that is on file with them.