Reader’s Question:

I’m from Iowa and I recently bought my first car, and insurance for it. Will my car insurance company cancel my coverage if I get involved in an accident within a month?

Brian

Waterloo, IA

Car insurance coverage was designed to protect the vehicle and its passengers from the potential risk of costly expenses for repairs and medical care resulting from unfortunate accidents. Although all states, including Iowa, manage car insurance companies up to a certain extent to protect policyholders, car insurance companies have the prerogative to cancel the coverage of a policyholder at any time within the two months from date of purchase without having to provide any reason for cancellation.

Situations that can merit cancellation can be delinquency or nonpayment of a policyholder’s premium. Car insurance companies can also revoke a customer’s coverage if there was material misrepresentation made by an individual or his representative in acquiring car insurance. Immediate termination is also done if a car insurance company discovers a fraudulent claim under a policy. An insurer may elect revocation of coverage if a policyholder has been involved in a number of accidents regardless of who was responsible for them. They may also cancel a customer’s policy if he or she had received various traffic citations.

For the situations stated, a car insurance company‘s cancellation of policy would not be considered in effect until at least a period of ten days after the company sends out the notice. A local agent may call with the information of cancellation. They may also mail or deliver a notice of policy cancellation.