I just bought a car here in Washington State. What’s my grace period for getting car insurance to avoid getting a penalty?

Jenny

Seattle WA

There’s no grace period for a liability coverage according to the Insurance Commissioner of Washington state. Also, the grace period to adding another vehicle to your insurance policy would be different from one company to another. It is important then to check with your insurer the maximum time required to file or add your newly bought vehicle to your existing policy. Most dealers would often require a physical damage coverage before it leaves the dealership.

If you’re replacing an old car to your policy, most insurers would extend that existing policy to your new car. If you’re adding a new car to your policy, you could inquire whether they would extend your existing policy for a certain amount of time or should you add the new vehicle to your policy with the required coverage.

If you’re just about to get an insurance policy on your car, then it is more practical to give your preferred auto insurance company an update on the type of car you’re planning to buy before it actually leaves the dealership. Request your dealership a fax of the car information to work with your insurer the practical coverage to apply.

I have auto insurance in Washington. I was just wondering if my car insurance will be effective in the state of California.

Jane

Seattle WA

It depends on your situation.

If you live in Washington and your vehicle is registered in WA and you want to just visit California, then typically your WA car insurance would conform to CA car insurance requirements.

If you go to school in CA but are still keeping your WA residence then your car insurance in Seattle WA may continue to cover you in CA. You will need to contact your car insurance company to be certain that you will be covered while you are in California.

If you plan to move to California, then you will need to register and insure your car in CA. If your car insurance company in WA also does business in California then you can just request to change it over to a new policy in California.

If you want to be sure that your car insurance in Washington state would also be effective in the state of California, I suggest that you speak with your car insurance agent.

Hi there. I would like to know if my Washington auto insurance company will notify me if they will not be renewing my policy before it policy will expires? I hope they do so I would have more time to find other company.

Michelle

East Seattle, WA

Generally yes, most Washington auto insurance company will notify you in advance whether they will not going to renew your policy.

In Washington State auto insurance companies are required to provide a twenty (20) day written notice with regards to non-renewal of a personal auto car insurance policy and a ten (10) written notice for cancellation due to non-payment of premium.

If you would like to know more information regarding this I suggest that you contact states insurance regulator. They will be able to give you more understanding what the insurance laws in your state regarding cancellation or non renewal notice or Washington auto insurance companies. They will also be able to inform you how much time are given to policyholders once the insurance company decides not to renew them.

I want to buy car insurance here in Washington. How can I get the cheapest auto insurance policy?

Nate

Vancouver, WA

There are a lot of car insurance companies there in Washington that compete in offering clients the cheapest possible auto insurance policy. And I’m sure that you will not have a hard time getting one. You just need to look around for different car insurance quotes and try to compare them with one another. Ask a friend or a relative for some advice regarding cheap but reliable car insurance policies. And there are also a number of ways that you can save up on your own car insurance.

As we all know, having car insurance is compulsory in every state in the United States. However, car insurance rates may vary depending on the state you live in. Your car insurance rates will be determined using several factors, including the insurance laws of the state of Washington. Even your state’s accident statistics will also be looked upon to see whether your state has a high number of accidents or not. If your state has a high frequency of car-related accidents, then your car insurance rates may also be a little bit higher. Geography is also considered, whether you live in a rural or an urban area.

Another way to get cheap car insurance policies is by maintaining a clean driving record. Make sure that you don’t violate any traffic rules and refrain from pushing ‘pedal to the metal’ to avoid accidents, injuries and damages to properties. Having a nice, clean driving history could mean lower insurance rates for you.

You can also choose a higher deductible if you want to have a lower insurance premium. But try and think about this first because although your premiums may be lower, you will be shouldering the amount of the deductible in the event of an accident. Make sure that you will be able to pay the amount of the deductible to avoid delays in your insurance claims. The deductible comes out of your own pocket if accidents do happen.

And if you really want the cheapest car insurance policy, consider buying a slower, heavier or bigger car with tons of safety features in it because car insurance companies give out discounts for cars like those. Forget about super-fast sports cars or cool convertibles, these cars are considered high-risk cars by most car insurance companies due to the number of theft and accidents related to these type of cars, which in turn make your insurance premiums go through the roof! So, if you’re not the filthy rich type of person, I suggest that you buy a car with airbags, anti-lock breaks and anti-theft alarm, so you can enjoy discounts on your car insurance policy.

I know that my auto insurance company will take care of me when I meet an accident, and that they’ll also take care of the damages to the occupants of the other car, too. However, what would happen if the other driver sues me? Would my auto insurance policy cover this? I have liability coverage

Kevin

Seattle, WA

Kevin, if you have liability insurance coverage, then your insurance policy will cover the damages done by the accident which you caused. If you did not cause the accident, then the other guy’s insurance policy will cover the damages. If the other driver guy decides to go to court, then your liability insurance coverage will still take care of your fees.

Liability insurance covers the expenses that the legal battle that results from the accident will cause. If you get sued in Washington, your auto insurance company will defend you in court. Be rest assured that your auto insurance company will hire a competent lawyer to defend you in court. The insurance will do its best to find a very good lawyer to represent you as the auto insurance company is also obligated to handle the legal payouts if ever the insured party loses the legal battle.

If you lose in court, the auto insurance company will pay for the fines/payments imposed by the court. It is because of this nature of liability insurance coverage that makes this crucial to motorists and even other professionals such as doctors and businessmen. Liability insurance coverage takes care of you when you figure in an accident, it also takes care of the other people who were affected by the accident and it takes care of you even after the accident.

If I received a ticket from another state and not in my home state in Washington, will that increase my car insurance rate?

Henry

Bellevue, WA

Your insurance rate may increase if you received a conviction for a traffic violation outside of the states you live in. However, a rate increase due to out-of-the-state violation depends upon the different factors such the rating system of the insurance provider and the how the state deals with outside traffic citations.

Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Michigan and Wisconsin are the only states in the US that are not members of the Drivers License Compact. As DLC members, states are required to report out-of-state convictions of drivers to the state where the person is licensed. The 5 states
that are not DLC member still share this information with other state since these states have their own set of agreements.

An out-of-state tickets may or may not be placed on your homestate driving record. If state opts to place the ticket on your driving record, your insurance provider will eventually find
out once they see your MVR. If the state chooses not to place the ticket on your homestate driving record, the insurance company will not see this unless they do an extensive ticket search where you will have to list this out-of-state citation

Whether or not your insurance rate will increase because of this out-of-state offense will depend upon the rating system of the insurance provider. You can contact your agent for more information about the rating system. You can contact your state DMV to check if an out of state offense will be placed on your driving record.

I just have one simple question. I’m from East Seattle Washington WA, why should I bother with auto insurance?

Jeremy

East Seattle WA

Good question, Jeremy, and actually one that we all have to be educated in. There are three general reasons why you should bother with auto insurance. First, it is required by the Department of Motor Vehicles when you register your car. You will be required a minimum liability coverage while other auto insurance coverage are optional. Of course, you can always upgrade your auto insurance when you are more financially capable. To get an idea of how much liability insurance and other auto insurance costs in East Seattle Washington WA, you can try making use of the space provided on this page. Just enter your zip code, answer a couple of questions and you will get several quotes in minutes.

If you have purchased your car from an auto loan, you will also be required to have auto insurance. the last reason, which can be the most important, is that auto insurance protects you from having to spend tremendous amount of money in cases of auto or vehicular accidents causing bodily harm or damages to the car. And depending on the kind of auto insurance you will get in East Seattle Washington WA, you will even be protected from hail, fire, theft, vandalism and any incidents which you have totally no control over.

Tags: auto insurance, Car Insurance Company

With all these talks about global economic crisis I am really getting nervous. I am trying to save every penny and would really appreciate it if you can give me some tips on how to get cheaper auto insurance in Federal Way Washington WA.

Tess

Federal Way, WA

Yes, Tess; it is indeed rather bleary and bleak. Everywhere around us, you hear that it can be a really bad year. Despite it all, let us not totally despair. We have survived many a crisis in the past and I’m sure that we can survive this one, too.

In some households, insurances may be the first thing to be scrapped when their finances are faced with some difficulties. In other households, however, insurances are a must. This is because the potential expense when something bad happens and you are without insurance will be enormous and can be quite crippling. It is really a matter of how risky you can afford to be.

It’s good that in your household, auto insurance is not scrapped. Apart from the fact that it is required by law, it is also one of the more handy insurances around. There are some ways on how you can save on auto insurance premiums, it just takes a little patience and research. First is to shop around for the cheapest coverage you can get around Federal Way Washington WA. Go online, type your zip code on the space you see on this page and get free quotes which you can compare side by side. The company that gives you the lowest quote online will most likely give you the lowest premium. You can lessen your coverage to include only those that you feel are utterly necessary. You can also ask auto insurance companies in Federal Way Washington WA for discounts when you install anti-theft or safety features in your car.

Finally, you increase your chances of lowering the cost of your premium if you will sustain a good driving record. This will make you attractive to insurance companies and therefore they will offer cheaper-priced auto insurance packages for you.

With the current economic situation, we are fine tuning our budget. What can we do to lower our auto insurance premiums and find the most affordable car insurance available?

Jonas

East Seattle WA

Hi Jonas,

Thanks for your inquiry about affordable car insurance. You might be surprised that there are ways to lower your cost and find affordable car insurance. We always recommend that all insurance policies be reviewed annually. This not only serves as a good way to refresh your mind about your coverage but to make sure the riders are appropriate and that the policy is tailored to your needs. Suiting the policy to your budget is part of finding affordable car insurance.

Check your driving record to make sure it is accurate. If your have a good record, you may be entitled to a premium discount. Additionally, your policy will be more affordable car insurance if you select an annual coverage instead of a shorter term policy.

Carriers in the East Seattle area will also make your policy more affordable car insurance if you add anti-theft devices to your vehicles. To make your coverage more affordable car insurance, you may want to consider increasing your deductible.

We recommend the easiest way to find more affordable car insurance is to complete the auto insurance inquiry form on this site. You will then receive multiple proposals for affordable car insurance, which you can review at home before finalizing your decision.

If a pedestrian gets hit by a vehicle in Shoreline Washington, which car insurance is primary?

George

Shoreline, WA

If the automobile driver was at fault in the accident in Shoreline Washington and had personal injury protection (PIP) normally this would be primary and would extend to the pedestrian they caused injury to. The bodily injury liability coverages of the driver would be secondary.

The Washington State law does not require drivers to have personal injury protection coverage, but an insurance carrier must offer it to policyholders.

If you as a pedestrian is is at fault due to dodging into traffic in front of a vehicle, jaywalking or or some other negligent act, then you would need to check if you own personal injury protection coverages (if you have this as part of your own auto insurance) would cover you and if not then your own health or medical insurance.

If you know someone who was a pedestrian hit by a vehicle and suffered injuries and you need more consumer advice on how to put an insurance claim, then contact the WA Office of Insurance Commissioner directly.