Reader’s Question:

My car was parked on a street in Des Moines, Iowa and got flooded. Will this be covered by my insurance company?

Jeremy

Des Moines, IA

Hey, Jeremy! Most car insurance companies have coverage for incidents like this. If you had “comprehensive” coverage at the time of the flood in your area in Des Moines, IA, then your insurance company will and must cover your claim.

“Comprehensive” insurance coverage means that your insurance covers your automobile, and sometimes other automobiles that you may be driving, for losses resulting from incidents aside from collision. The coverage generally includes loss caused by any of the following: fire, theft explosion, falling objects, hail, windstorm, water, earthquake, flood, malicious mischief, colliding with a bird or animal, breakage of glass, and riots or civil commotions.

Also, your insurance company will pay the lesser of one: either fixing your vehicle or “totaling” it. And if your insurance company decides to “total” your vehicle, you or your lien holder will be paid the vehicle’s “actual cash value” or ACV. The depreciation of the vehicle would also be taken into consideration in determining its value, as well as the deductibles that you choose to include. I would also like to suggest that you contact your insurance agent there on Des Moines to inquire about your insurance coverage. It’s better to be safe than sorry, I always say!

Tags: auto insurance, Car Insurance Company, comprehensive insurance coverage

Reader’s Question:

I was driving my father’s vehicle when I got into a minor accident with just a scratch on the side. I do not have car insurance so I am wondering if I could place a claim on my father’s car insurance carrier in Sioux City?

Tony

Sioux City, IA

If you do not live with your father in the same household and borrow his vehicle and are involved in an accident, your father’s auto insurance coverage will extend to you as a driver. If you reside in the same household and are not listed as a driver on the car insurance policy for some reason then the insurance carrier may not cover you for driving his car.

To make a car insurance claim on your father’s insurance company in Sioux City Iowa you need more tha just the liability coverage on the vehicle. Liability covers damages the driver, caused to another party’s vehicle or property, not damages to your own automobile. Your father would need physical damage coverages of collision and comprehensive to cover damages to his automobile.

Since you did have car insurance, your father’s car insurance would still be primary. Car insurance follows the vehicle first usually and driver second, so if you had car insurance it would have been secondary or excess if damages exceeded your father’s liability limits.

Tags: auto insurance claims, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

I am a college student and I am only thrice a year and will be driving my parent’s car in Ames, Iowa. I do not operate a vehicle in college and I was just wondering if there is any way I will be covered under my parent’s car insurance policy while I am home.

Mark

Ames, IA

If you will be driving your parent’s vehicle when you are home in Ames, Iowa, you will need to contact their car insurance company to determine what to do so you will be covered when you are home and driving your parent’s vehicle. If you are still using your parent’s address as your permanent residence, the car insurance carrier may still consider you as a household member and add you to your parent’s car insurance policy. In this way, you will be sure that you will be covered when you drive your parent’s automobile.

Insurance carrier’s rules and guidelines varies that is why it better to discuss your situation to your parent’s car insurance policy because most car insurance companies require that policyholder must list all household members including those teenagers that are away at college that may drive the car when they are home.

Tags: auto insurance, Student car insurance, teen insurance

Reader’s Question:

I was in a car accident in Meriden, Connecticut where I was rear ended. The law enforcement made a report and gave the other driver ticket. I now need a rental vehicle while my vehicle is being fixed. The other driver’s insurance carrier won’t pay. How can I get them to pay?

Brad

Meriden, CT

The Connecticut Insurance Department states that, if you incur property damage to your car as a result of someone else being at fault legally, you are entitled to compensation for loss of use of your property. In such situation, you are entitled to a comparable rental car or reasonable compensation, regardless of whether you have incurred an expense for rental, for a reasonable period of time necessary to settle your insurance claim or repair your car.

So if you are making a third party insurance claim through the at-fault driver’s property damage liability coverages then according to the CID that you should receive a rental vehicle that they pay or reimburse your for or at least reasonable compensation.

If you are making a third party insurance claim through the insurance company of the person that rear-ended you in Meriden, Connecticut and they continue to refuse to reimburse or pay you for a rental vehicle then contact the Connecticut Insurance Department for consumer advise on what steps to do.

Tags: auto insurance claims, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

I have had my 2004 vehicle for ten months and I crashed it into a tree. I had let my car insurance lapse two months ago so I did not have car insurance coverage. I was hospitalized for several weeks. Should I inform my finance company in Des Moines, IA? What will happen then? Are they going to sue me?

Gene

Des Moines, IA

Your lien holder in Des Moines, Iowa requires that you carry physical damage coverage to your automobile to ensure that any damages to your car will be repaired. Since you did not have auto insurance coverage, you will ultimately be held liable for repairing your car as well as being responsible for any other damage you caused. Some lien holder’s force place insurance coverage on the car when they are informed that you do not have your own car insurance policy. If so, your car may be covered for this loss.

I am unable to offer any legal advice regarding your car insurance policy. So, you may want to consult a lawyer to know your rights as well as your legal obligations.

Tags: auto insurance lapse

Reader’s Question:

My question is, can two person be insured on one vehicle through two different insurance carriers?

Reed

West Des Moines, IA

It might be possible to have 2 separate car insurance polices for 2 different people on one car in West Des Moines, IA. Insurance guidelines vary though so you may want to check with different insurance carriers to see if what you want is possible and permitted by their guidelines.

This type of double insurance on a car typically is not necessary and may go against many insurance carriers underwriting guidelines, since normally one insurance policy would be able to cover all the drivers of the car.

So while it might be possible for 2 people to insure the same car through different insurance carriers it might be difficult to find insurance companies that would allow this.

Tags: car insurance

Reader’s Question:

How many years look back do I need to go when giving driving history for my auto insurance in Waterloo Iowa?

Watkins

Waterloo, IA

The length of years that an insurance company in Waterloo will “look back” at your driving history or the amount of years in which you will need to provide information on your driver’s record to an insurance company will differ depending upon both state laws and the internal guidelines of an insurance carrier.

Insurance companies tend to look back at your driving record or MVR for either three, five or seven years. If you are applying for a car insurance policy you will need to provide information on your driving history for the time period the insurance company requests. If you give inaccurate information it will then affect your auto insurance quote.

Tags: car insurance quotes

Reader’s Question:

What is the insurance policy for guest drivers in Dubuque Iowa?

Jenkins

Dubuque, IA

Insurance provider’s guidelines as well as individual car insurance policy terms in Dubuque Iowa vary but generally if you permit a guest to drive your car normally your auto insurance coverages will extend to this individual that you have given permission to drive your car.

To make sure that there are not exclusions within your car insurance policy that would let your insurance company to deny insurance claims arising from a friend or guests driving your car it is usually best to read through your car insurance policy as well as discuss with your insurance agent to make sure the guest can operate your vehicle and be properly covered by your car insurance.

Tags: auto insurance

Reader’s Question:

I was in an accident an was at fault, will my insurance carrier increase my insurance premium rate only when I renew my insurance policy in Sioux City Iowa?

Brad

Sioux City. IA

Generally car insurance rates are not changed mid-term but instead when it is time to renew your insurance policy.

An increase in car insurance rates due to being in an accident can also depend on the severity and nature of the accident and who is found to be at fault.

There could be a dramatic rise in your car insurance rates if you get involve in an accident and you were found at fault or even a cancellation of your insurance coverage, subject to state law.

To verify when your insurance premium rate could rise and by how much in Sioux City, IA after being involved in an accident, speak with your current insurance company for an explanation of their rating system. In addition, insurance carriers must file their car insurance rates with the state’s insurance regulator if you instead would like to contact them for details on your carrier’s rating system and find out about your state’s insurance laws.

Tags: car insurance rate

Reader’s Question:

Is there anyone from Iowa who can possibly walk me through with SR22 filing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa IA due to DUI?

Joshua

Cedar Rapids, IA

The Iowa DMV and the Secretary of the State of Iowa require each driver owning a vehicle in the state of Iowa to maintain insurance. Non-owner insurance can also be maintained if there is no vehicle owned and the state can mandate SR22 insurance on an individual to track the progress of a given policy if the circumstances exist.

SR-22 requirement in the State of Iowa is usually given for 2 years, and can be purchased in several forms. Common to all of these is the participation by the state to insure compliance of all citizens with corresponding financial responsibility.

This is also to keep participants honest about maintaining their policies without lapse.
License will immediately be suspended if an SR22 policy is taken out to release the license, and then cancelled prior to the state mandated finish date. In exchange for a valid license in Iowa, you agree to maintain at least state minimum liability in some form with an SR22 attached.

So long as you keep the selected policy in place and renew on-time your license will stay valid in Iowa IA. You can drop the policy eventually if you will complete the time frame required by the state of Iowa. The state of Iowa participate in the SR-22 system of communication in order to monitor the insurance policies of select citizens, including from Cedar Rapids.

Tags: DUI insurance, non-owner policy, sr22, SR22 filing