Top 5 Steps to Take After an Accident Occurs

While it’s impossible to predict when an auto accident will occur, knowing how to proceed will help keep your head on straight – especially when tension may be running high between you and the other driver.

  1. Move the cars off of the road. If this isn’t possible, remain in the car until an officer comes to take the report or until the conditions are safe for you to leave the vehicle.
  2. Call the police to report the accident. If there are no serious injuries, remember to use the non-emergency number for the police station. If your state does not require law enforcement to respond to minor accidents, then you will need to manually fill out the report yourself.
  3. Obtain details from the other driver. You should always take the time to record their name, insurance company, phone number, and the make and model of their vehicle – they will most likely ask you to do the same. Refrain from admitting the accident was your fault while you are exchanging information.
  4. Take pictures of the scene and damage. In addition to documenting the damage while on the scene so that you can present it to your insurance company as evidence, you should also make sure you snap a few pictures of the entire scenario. This is especially helpful in the event that you cannot find any witnesses to vouch for your side of the story.
  5. Call your insurance company to report a claim. Most insurance providers have a 24- to 48-hour window for you to report an accident – the sooner you make the call, the more smoothly things will go.

The most important thing you can do if you are in an accident is to remain calm; panicking won’t help, and you may forget to take important steps, like exchanging information, if you don’t retain self control.

How to better protect your car without a garage

The best way to protect a new car or a well-maintained older car is to keep it in a garage. A garage will protect the finish of your car from the various harmful elements of the weather. In addition to protecting it from hail, rain and snow, keeping your car inside a garage will also keep tree pollen, air pollution and even the sun’s powerful rays from your car’s finish.

If you do not have the benefit of a garage to protect your car from the elements, there are still ways to protect your car. With a little creative thinking and some simple maintenance, you can keep your looking as good as new.

A Car Cover

Most auto parts stores carry vinyl covers that will completely cover your vehicle. These covers do a good job of protecting your car from most of the weather elements as well as the sun. The main drawback to such a protective cover is that they are a bit cumbersome to put on and remove. If you are in and out of your car more than a few times each day, you probably will not want to leave the cover on all the time. For the most part, a car cover should be put on at night and removed in the morning.

Where You Park

If you are forced to park in an outdoor parking lot, try to avoid parking under a big tree that might leave sticky sap deposits on your car finish. It is nice to have shade to keep your car cool, but it is not so nice to come back to your car and see the hood stained with tree sap. While some trees do not drop their leaves or stain the cars below them, many trees do. Be sure to know the characteristics of any tree you may park under.

Wash Often

Just like people need to take a shower to stay clean, cars need to be washed regularly to keep their shiny finish. If you can not afford to take your car to a car wash every week, make a practice of removing some of the dirt with a squirt from the garden hose.

The Need for Comprehensive or Liability Auto Insurance on Paid Off High Mileage Cars

If you are asking yourself if comprehensive or liability auto insurance is still necessary for high mileage cars that are paid off, the resounding answer is "Yes, positively!" Ask yourself this question also: Can you get along without a car? Your car can still become a total loss no matter how much you do or do not owe on it; without some insurance coverage you will have nothing left toward replacement of that vehicle. Basic insurance protection depends on vehicle worth; liability and comprehensive damages are a different matter.

Some drivers believe that just because a vehicle or home is paid off, they can drop all insurance coverage. This is a worst-case decision, because accidents can always happen. Without proper insurance coverage on a fully paid-off vehicle, all accidental damage costs will come out of your own wallet. The minimum coverage for comprehensive damage should be maintained, as should liability coverage. Your responsibility when someone else is hurt on, in or because of your vehicle hitting them or their property does not end with a final vehicle payment. Liability lawsuits can involve astronomical dollar amounts you could possibly owe.

One example for maintaining comprehensive damage insurance on a paid-off car would be spring and summer hail storm damage. Yes, hail stones do fall that are as large as golf balls and baseballs. These can cause multiple breaks in glass and deep dents in metal. Large hail can even break through metal surfaces. Without comprehensive damage coverage, you bear all repair costs.

It’s wonderful to have a vehicle fully paid off, but remember to keep minimal insurance coverage in effect to protect yourself from liability claims, accidental damage and vandalism. A small monthly payment is much better than paying hundreds or thousands of dollars out-of-pocket.

What Insurance Providers Look for in Drivers

When you get car insurance in Texas, any insurance company through which you obtain a policy is going to look at your profile to determine whether you’re an acceptable risk to them. What does this mean, exactly? If you’re a "good risk," according to the insurance company, you have:

A safe driving record

Insurance rates are based upon the risk profile you present to the insurance company. If you have a good driving record, you’re less of a risk to an insurance company because you’ve already shown that you’re less likely to have an accident than the average driver. This gives you lower rates. The longer you have a good driving record and no accidents, the lower your rates are going to be.

No speeding or other moving violations tickets

Even if you’re a "good" driver in that you haven’t had any accidents (or haven’t had any for a long time), speeding tickets and other tickets for moving violations show irresponsibility on your part. Follow the rules of the road, including staying within speed limits. The more you can show a sense of responsibility on the road, the lower your insurance rates are going to be. (Getting too many tickets can also mean license suspension, which will automatically identify you as a bad risk and increase your insurance rates.)

An age above 25

Older drivers generally have lower insurance rates than younger drivers do, simply because statistically, younger drivers make more mistakes and are more cavalier about their driving than older drivers are – and young men under the age of 25 are the most "risky" demographic group of all. Simply put, as a demographic group younger drivers have more accidents than older drivers do, so they are charged higher rates. The good news is, getting older improves your statistics demographically and therefore drops your rates automatically. By the time you’re 25, you should be paying reasonable insurance rates as long as you haven’t had any accidents, DUIs, etc.

Coastal Guidelines for Auto Insurance

Are there coastal guidelines for auto insurance?

Not really. It’s been shown that in states like Texas (where devastatingly large natural disasters like hurricanes occur with some frequency), insurance companies will simply shut down and not issue new policies on homes or cars until a particular natural disaster has been cleaned up and things are back to "normal." That’s not really something automobile owners can control, though.

The CARCO inspection

In some coastal states, there’s something automobile owners have to submit to called the CARCO inspection. What this means is that you may have to agree to have your car visually inspected for damage on a regular basis in order to get insurance. Many insurance companies for states like Texas and Florida will not insure cars until they’ve undergone that CARCO inspection and have passed.

What else should you know?

Beyond these two possible exceptions, coastal guidelines for auto insurance are the same as those for cars that are housed off-coast. If you live in Texas, you have to carry at least liability insurance on your car in the amount of $30,000 personal injury coverage per person, or $60,000 per accident. You also have to carry at least $25,000 in property liability insurance.

If your car is newer than 10 years old, it’s a good idea to also include comprehensive and collision insurance coverage. Comprehensive insurance coverage covers your car if it’s damaged in a non-accident event, such as through theft, vandalism, "falling tree limb" damage, and so on. Collision insurance covers repair or replacement of your car at its current value if you’re in an accident and you are deemed at fault. If your car is older than 10 years old, liability-only coverage is generally advised, since premiums are going to cost you more than the replacement value of your car is worth.

Should I Keep Home Insurance on My Paid Off Home?

It’s a happy day when the home mortgage is finally paid off. Those big monthly payments are over, right? But there is one very important thing to remember if your home insurance payments were rolled into those large mortgage payments: You need to continue home insurance coverage; it is too important to lose. If insurance was part of the mortgage, as is normally required by many mortgage lenders, the insurance coverage will automatically be terminated soon after the final payment is made. Your home and its contents will no longer be insured, and you may also lose liability insurance that was included in that policy.

Here’s what to do shortly before the home is paid off:

  1. Contact your insurance agent to arrange for continuation of all insurance policies for the home, contents and liability. Insure for the cost of rebuilding, not market value.
  2. Make sure your new policies begin at the same time the old one terminates.
  3. If you want to save money on premiums, switch to a large deductible. This is much better than trying to go without insurance on your property.
  4. Be sure you receive discounts for applicable improvements, such as smoke alarms, dead-bolt locks, sprinkler systems, and so forth. If you belong to a fraternal organization, there may also be a discount available. If you insure vehicles and your home with the same company, a discount for multiple policies may apply.

Protect yourself and your paid-off home by continuing insurance coverage on the buildings, contents, and outbuildings and include a comprehensive policy. Comprehensive insurance covers damage from natural disasters like fire, lightning, hail, ice, falling trees, explosions, earthquake, vandalism and other situations. Liability insurance is a must to avoid expensive legal situations that evolve if someone slips and falls on your property or is otherwise injured. Consult with your agent for exact recommendations.

Three Things You Should Know Prior to Buying Colorado Homeowners Insurance

Colorado homeowners insurance is a necessity for you if you own a home in Colorado. Here are three things you should know before you buy your Colorado home insurance policy:

Make sure you buy the right policy

All home insurance in Colorado is not created equal. Your policy should cover four things in order to be fully protected:

  1. The contents of your house (your possessions)
  2. The structure of your house
  3. Your liability to others in the event you are found responsible for injuries or accidents that occur on your property, and
  4. Your living expenses if you are forced out of your house in the event it becomes unlivable, such that you must live someplace else

Buy replacement value insurance

This is a mistake many people make when they buy home insurance in Colorado. You should always buy replacement value insurance so that your possessions will be replaced at "new value" levels; in other words, that’s what you’ll spend to replace current (used) possessions with new ones. If you opt for insurance coverage that only covers "current value" levels of your possessions, you may not have enough money to replace everything you need to.

Make sure you understand the claims process clearly before disaster strikes

Your Colorado home insurance agent should clearly explain what you need to have in hand in order to have a claims process go smoothly. Make sure you understand the claims process before anything happens, and put the agent’s instructions in a safe place, along with your inventory and other documentation.

Colorado Car Insurance Requirements

Colorado car insurance laws require all drivers/owners of motor vehicles to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage. If you are the cause of an accident, liability insurance will cover you for any physical property damage or bodily injury to another person that was a result of your negligent actions. If you are found responsible for the damage, your insurance will pay up to settle any claims up to the limits of your policy. There are minimum mandated amounts of coverage in the state of Colorado for both bodily injury and property damage liability.

The minimum requirement under Colorado law for property damage is $15,000. That simply means if you get in an accident that was your fault, your insurance company will pay up to $15,000 to repair or replace the vehicle that was damaged.

Bodily injury liability minimum coverage is $25,000 for any single individual injured in an accident and $50,000 for all individuals injured in an accident. If you are in an accident where 4 people are injured, your insurance company will pay up to $50,000 to settle all claims, but will not pay more than $25,000 to any one individual.

It is important to consider purchasing more than the minimum amount of Colorado auto insurance mandated by state law. Be smart and buy enough insurance to protect yourself against a personal lawsuit in the event you cause more damage than the minimum amounts cover. Any amount of damage above your insurance limits can become your personal responsibility. If you have substantial assets such as a home, stocks and bonds or anything else, you could put them at risk if you do not have adequate liability insurance.

Colorado Homeowners Insurance Made Easy

Need of Colorado car insurance and Colorado homeowners insurance? Follow these tips for the best deal on your coverage!

Obtain price quotes from a variety of Colorado car insurance companies

It pays to shop around when looking for car and homeowner insurance quotes. Colorado insurance companies may quote widely different prices from their competitors so it pays to get quotes from 4 or 5 difference insurance agencies. Need help finding Colorado insurance agencies? Ask a friend for a recommendation or see if your local mechanic has any favorites.

Research each company before you request a quote

The Internet has made it very easy to check out companies that offer car insurance in Colorado and/or Colorado home insurance before you even request a quote. It’s often true that top-ranked companies in your search results will also have good reputations, since a company’s higher search rankings often go hand in hand with happy customers. However, it’s still a good idea to check several of them out before you request a quote. Check with the Colorado or Denver Better Business Bureaus or chambers of commerce to see if there have been any complaints filed against the firms.

Bundle Colorado auto insurance and Colorado home insurance to save money

When you request quotes from the companies you choose, ask for separate auto and home insurance quotes, and then ask for bundled rates as well. In general, companies will give you lower rates when you bundle your insurance, meaning that you get policies in both home and auto insurance from the same company. Choose the lowest priced policy that still gives you the coverage you want.

Types of Colorado Liability Insurance

Those who need Colorado car insurance and Colorado homeowners insurance need to consider several different scenarios before they choose their policies. For the best and most comprehensive protection, it’s wise to consider liability insurance with both Colorado auto insurance and Colorado home insurance.

For your automobile

If you’re in an automobile accident, liability Colorado auto insurance will cover you in the event you are at fault in a car accident. In Colorado, you must have minimums of $25,000 in coverage for the injury of one person and $50,000 coverage for the injury of more than one person. You also have to carry $15,000 in coverage for property damage. These are minimums, and many experts recommend that you carry more. In Colorado, you can’t even register a vehicle, much less drive one, until you can prove that you have it insured to the minimum standards.

For your house

Although you are not legally required to have homeowners insurance in Colorado, it’s important to have because you’ll want to protect yourself in the event you have property damage from some kind of disaster and need to repair or rebuild your house or replace your possessions.

In addition, even though Colorado homeowners don’t think of it, liability coverage is also important if you’re a homeowner. That’s because if someone should slip and fall or otherwise have an accident while in your home or on your property, you can be sued for damages. It’s suggested that you carry at least $100,000 in liability coverage for your homeowners policy, although most experts recommend that you up that amount to $300,000, to be safe.