Is there any way to get an auto insurance quote without having my parents credit checked in Seattle WA?

Olive

Seattle, WA

Not all insurance companies check credit when an individual buys car insurance so you may be able to find one in Seattle that would not check your parent’s credit record for their credit score.

The best thing to do is to shop around for car insurance and find a carrier that does not check or use credit record as a rating factor.

You can begin comparison shopping for car insurance online.

The amount that a credit score can affect your insurance rates in some states is governed by the state’s insurance regulator. To know if your state has regulations about auto insurance providers using your credit record as part of the rating process contact this state agency.

If I become a motorist under my parent’s insurance policy in Seattle, is there any way that I can be excluded privately as a driver on the policy so that for if I got involve in an accident or received a ticket, it wouldn’t make their insurance rates go up?

Parker

Seattle, WA

If you are going to be put on your parent’s car insurance policy as a motorist in Seattle then your driving record will be a rating factor and therefore could affect the insurance rates.

As a licensed household member and listed motorist on the auto insurance policy the insurance carrier will want to check your motor vehicle record (MVR). Any traffic tickets you are convicted of and accidents you may be involved in will be put on your driving record which the insurance provider would see as part of your MVR.

Depending upon the insurance provider’s rating system the accidents or tickets could affect your parent’s insurance rates in Seattle. There is no way to be on the policy but not have your driving history used as part of the rating process since you are a motorist of the vehicles listed on the policy.

I am wondering, if my vehicle did not have auto insurance in Seattle, WA can a friend drive my vehicle with her insurance and her car insurance cover my vehicle?

Sam

Seattle, WA

I dont think it is not a good idea to allow anyone drive your car if you do not have at least the state’s required minimum auto insurance coverages on it in Seattle, WA for a several reasons.

Normally, another person’s auto insurance is not going to cover your vehicle if it is in a crash if you do not have primary insurance on the car. Also typically when you are stopped by a law enforcement officer and required to show proof of car insurance it needs to list the car that you are driving for the police officer to know there is auto insurance on it in case of an accident.

If an individual that drives your vehicle has insurance that would cover them in your vehicle that coverage would be secondary to insurance the owner of the vehicle, should have on the car insurance policy. Their car insurance coverage is secondary in that if your insurance coverage was exceeded, their insurance may assist with the amount of car insurance claims above your limits for those they injured or damaged while driving your car.

An individual’s physical damage coverages, Comprehensive and collision, generally do not extend to your car when someone operates it. Usually these coverages only cover a person’s own car, not other automobiles that the policyholder may operate.

Is a comprehensive insurance coverage more advisable than a third party liability? I’ve talked to quite a few car insurance agents here in Seattle, Washington, and they just fogged up my mind.

Linda

Seattle, WA

Hi there Linda of Seattle, Washington. That’s a very nice question. And quite difficult to answer, too. As we all know, the best option will always be the one that suits your needs the most. So, before making up your mind on what to purchase between a comprehensive insurance and a third party liability, try to weigh the pros and cons of both types first and consider your financial capacity. Because admittedly, getting a third party liability kind of auto insurance is the cheapest and most economical way to go if you are a bit strapped for cash but still would like to have reasonable coverage for your car. However, when it comes to the argument of which one is better, well then definitely, a comprehensive auto insurance, as the term already denotes, has the better coverage than the latter. Most important of all, it not just covers the damages the policy owner could do to another person, to himself or herself, and to his or her passengers, it also covers the cost of property damage, the repair and replacement of the car and everything inside it in the event that the vehicle gets lost or damaged due to vandalism, theft, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, etc. To sum it up, if your car is brand-new, I would say the best option for you right now is a comprehensive car insurance.

What does the car insurance cover me for exactly? I got my insurance in Seattle and I also want to know, does it cover any person who drives the vehicle or only the owner of the vehicle?

Jane

Seattle, WA

Auto insurance is supposed to protect a person from financial loss. Your insurance will cover you for the limits and coverages for which you are paying a premium. Besides the owner of the car, this coverage will extend to other individual diving the car – under certain conditions. First of all, in order to be covered, the individual needs to be driving the car with the permission of its owner. If the driver lives in the car owner’s household, in order to be covered, that individual will need to be listed as a driver on the car owner’s auto insurance policy. If the driver does not live in the car owner’s household and drives the car with any kind of regularity, in order to be covered, the driver will need to be listed as a driver on the car owner’s policy. If the driver does not live in the car owner’s household, does not drive the car with any kind of regularity (or frequency), and the driver is driving the car with permission, the driver should be covered to the extent the insurance provider permits in its underwriting guidelines.

If my car gets “totaled,” what are my options? By the way, I got my insurance in Seattle, Washington.

Cynthia

Seattle, WA

Hi, Cynthia! Basically, a car is “totaled” when it is so damaged that it would cost more to fix it than what it’s actually worth. Generally, over 50% damage will do it, although insurers differ on how much damage must occur before they consider a car totaled. And when that happens, you can either take the money and move on, or you can keep the car and have it repaired on your own.

Most insurance companies, including those in Seattle, WA, will offer you the vehicle’s actual cash value or ACV, minus the deductibles that you might have. Then they sell the totaled cars to salvage yards and the company takes those profits. But in the event that you disagree on the ACV that your insurer proposes, I suggest that you consult an independent appraiser (at your own expense, of course) or get an attorney for some legal advice.

If you choose to keep your car and have it repaired instead, there are a few things to keep in mind. Yes, you can still take the ACV, although some deductibles are still applied, plus the amount the insurance company would have gotten at the salvage yard. And not to mention, you have to get your car fixed yourself. Bear in mind that the money you’ll get from these insurance proceeds are usually not enough to fix your car, so you have to be sure and really think it through. Moreover, totaled cars usually need to go through a state inspection, and unfortunately, most insurance companies are sometimes hesitant to insure cars that have been totaled.

Whatever option you choose, Cynthia, make sure it’s an informed decision and don’t sign anything if you’re not certain of the terms!

I was driving in Seattle Washington using a friend’s car, which has an insurance, when a law enforcing officer asked me to pull over because I was running a red light. Because of this, I received a fine but me as a driver without an insurance was not mentioned. Will the incident affect my friend’s car insurance rate? What would happen if I was caught driving without any insurance?

Arlene

Seattle, WA

Generally, if you received a ticket while driving someone else’s car, the effect would be onto your driver’s license and record and not to the owner of the car. The case is different if the citation was for an expired registration.

Your driving record, and not your friend’s driving record and insurance, will be affected if your name appears on the ticket. If you would be driving your friend’s car regularly, your friend should check with the insurance company to ensure that you are covered in the policy.

In most state, like Washington, it is the vehicle that needs to be shown as having insurance and a vehicle’s insurance card is enough to prove that the car meets the state’s minimum insurance coverage. Some states however also requires every driver to be insured. If you are asked to pull over and could not show any proof of insurance under your name when asked by a law enforcing officer, then you could be ticketed.

You could check with your state’s DMV if an insurance is required for a licensed driver, like you, or if it is just the

I received a ticket recently for speeding, and the law enforcement officer said that it will not go on my driving record. But I would like to know if my car insurance company in Seattle Washington will find out about it?

Pat

Seattle WA

Seattle Car insurance companies will only find out about any traffic or moving tickets if it is placed on your MVR or motor vehicle report. So if the speeding ticket does not go on your driving history, your insurance providers will not find out about it.

But, if you received a speeding ticket, it might be placed on your motor vehicle report. The law enforcement officer was probably referring to traffic school. The violation may appear up on your driving record, if you take traffic class, but the DMV points will not so your car insurance carrier may not be able to know anything about it. Basically, your speeding ticket is minor violation. You might not see any change in your car insurance rates in Seattle Washington if this is your first ticket since, most insurance providers do not charge for a single minor violation.

What will happen if I do not declare my traffic offenses when I am buying/shopping for car insurance quotes in Seattle Washington?

Carter

Seattle, WA

When filling out an insurance application or shopping for insurance quotes in Seattle Washington you should always provide complete and accurate information possible. If the insurance provider asks about your traffic violations that occurred within a certain time period you will need to declare the traffic tickets that you received within that time frame.

If you do not mention your traffic tickets and give inaccurate information about your driving history then when the insurance provider runs your driving record, the car insurance quote you were given originally will have to be changed so that you can be rated correctly using the information the insurance company finds out from your MVR.

In many states, if you intentionally mislead the insurance provider or leave off information in order to get a cheaper premium quote it can be construed as misrepresentation in many states, thus a form of insurance fraud.

What factors to check when choosing an automobile insurance company in Seattle?

George

Seattle WA

You are right in scrutinizing an automobile insurance company in Seattle. Some people never bother checking the background of their insurance providers as long as they get a very cheap insurance premium, which can be a problem later on because either they’re not getting enough coverage or, worse, they’re not getting any payments at all. This kind of problem can cause a lot of stress that the money you saved, from getting cheap insurance, cannot compensate for it.

When buying car insurance in Seattle, one should aim to get an affordable premium rate from a good standing automobile insurance company. Here is a checklist you should keep in mind when choosing an insurance provider.

1. The auto insurance company should be legit. You should check if it has license to operate, and also on which states are they licensed to operate. You can check with your local government business registration office or state insurance department. And, when you are there, you might also check if there are any complaints reported for that company.

2. The car insurance company should be financially stable. One of the most common complain of policyholders is non-payment of claims. So you should check if an insurance company is financially capable to pay the coverage you’d sign up for.

You can find information regarding financial status of insurance companies from rating agencies like: A.M. Best Company, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch.

3. The insurance company should have a solid management running it. Having a good management can positively affect its financial stability and the company’s overall performance. Also, if the management is very good in handling their staffs, then it means they are also good in handling their clients.

4. The car insurance company should be responsive to their customers. The last thing you want to be in is when you are in a car mishap, and your insurance provider is not answering your calls. It’s good to have an insurer who has a 24/7 customer service line because we cannot tell when accidents will happen. And, of course, it should be man with efficient customer staffs or else it will just add to your frustration when your concern will not be handled well.