Free DUI Lawyer In California

Reader’s Question:

Since I have never gotten into an accident, I’d like to know if I need to inform my auto insurance company in case I encounter one. Am I obligated by law here in California to report any accident to my auto insurance company?

Aditya

San Francisco, CA

Although car insurance providers demand that they would like to know even the least accident you are involved with, you are not obligated by law in California to tell them about this accident. If it is obvious that the deductible that you agreed to pay is higher than the cost of the repairs on your vehicle, it would be better to pay the expenses by yourself and not report any claim to your car insurance provider. Keep in mind that all of your claims, even so if the damage would be less than your deductible, it will be on your insurance history. However, although the absence of an accident report to your insurance provider will not make you a criminal, majority of auto insurance policies state that the insurance provider has no responsibility to give coverage if you fail to report the accident quickly.

It would be reasonable not to file a claim if the repair expenses are less than your deductible. What they always advise to pick a higher deductible will be applied to this instance. You can keep the money that you save for having cheaper auto insurance premiums or you can even deposit it into a bank account. In case of an auto accident, you are financially ready to repair the damage even if the charge will be a little higher than your deductible.

Reader’s Question:

I’m not decided yet but I have plans on switching to another car insurance company. If I let my car insurance policy here California expire, will it automatically be canceled?

Lamont

San Diego, CA

If you just let your car insurance policy in California expire, that doesn’t mean that it will automatically be cancelled. Instead, your car insurance company will still send you a bill for the next policy term and if you don’t pay it, they will be the ones to cancel your policy. If this happens, you’re gonna have to pay more on your insurance if you switch companies because you have a cancellation on your record. Other car insurance companies will think that you are irresponsible, thus would put you in the higher risk category. In that case, they won’t take into account that much whether you have a good driving record or not. All they would see is that you have a cancellation on your insurance history.

To keep that away from happening, you need to formally cancel your car insurance policy. To do this, you may talk to your insurance agent or call your insurance company directly informing them about your intention to cancel and the date of cancellation. What they’ll do is send you a cancellation request form which is most likely already filled out and all it needs is your signature. But before signing, you have to read what’s on it very carefully and tell the insurance company if you have any objections. Even before you cancel your old policy, you’re always free to shop around the best car insurance by getting some free comparison auto insurance quotes.