5 Tips for Shopping for Car Insurance

Don’t Go Without 

You can save a couple hundred bucks per month by skipping out on insurance—and it’s not worth it. Whatever you save initially will not outweigh the long term cost of going without insurance. You should never drive a car without insurance. It is illegal and there are very serious criminal and civil consequences for driving without insurance. Do not ever drive without car insurance. A lot of people buy into the idea that they can’t be sued if they don’t have anything. This is only partially true. Typically, personal injury attorneys working on contingency will not go after you personally if you have no insurance and no other source of recovery. However, if you cause an accident, and someone’s uninsured motorist policy covers the cost of your negligence, the insurance company representing the injured party can, and very likely will, be going after you personally even if you don’t have a source of recovery. In these cases, insurance companies can often garnish your wages or put you on a payment plan in order to collect.  

Get a Quote Before You Buy 

It is in your best interest to begin shopping around for insurance and getting quotes before you buy the car. This is especially important if you are buying a new car, or a car that is going to stretch your budget a bit. A lot of people fall into the trap of getting a car at the top of their price range only to realize they can’t afford to insure the car, or they can’t afford to buy the right amount of coverage. They either drive without insurance or they purchase the cheapest insurance possible, leaving them exposed to a financially dangerous amount of liability in the event of an accident. If you are shopping for a car, you should be calling car insurance companies and getting an idea of what it’ll cost you to insure before you buy the car. If you can’t afford insurance, it may be a good idea to either put off purchasing a car or purchase a car that’s more cost-effective to insure. 

Don’t Drive with Lapsed Insurance 

In case it wasn’t clear previously: you should never drive without car insurance. A lot of people do not understand that if their insurance is lapsed that they are uninsured. It does not matter if your insurance is lapsed by only a few days. If your insurance lapses on February 5th, you do not have insurance on February 6th. Insurance companies do not care if your insurance lapsed only the day prior. They will not be giving you a break or making an exception. When you shop for car insurance, make sure you fully understand when your old coverage ends and your new coverage begins. For example, if you have car insurance with Insurance Company A, but you decided to cancel your policy and get insurance through Car Insurance Company B, there may be a gap in your coverage. If there is a gap in your coverage between when your old policy ended and your new policy will begin, do not drive during that gap, even if it’s only for a few days. 

Ask About Discounts 

There are a lot of discounts that you can get to affect the price of your car insurance. Sometimes, it can even feel like discounts are a bit like scholarships in that there’s a discount for everything. You may find that there are discounts for having certain safety features, not having accidents, not having speeding tickets, and more. Some insurance companies will also give customers discounts for taking driving lessons or other classes. It’s worth taking a look at what discounts are available to you and what you can do to bring down the price of your car insurance. If, for instance, you have a lot of speeding tickets, you may want to look into classes you could take that may potentially reduce the cost of your insurance, if the insurance company you’re buying from offers that. 

Don’t Make Decisions Solely on Price 

The most insurance isn’t necessarily the best insurance, and the cheapest insurance isn’t necessarily going to be the best financial decision—especially in the event of an accident. You need to make decisions based on what’s right for you in your individual circumstances. Do not go off price alone. It’s important to think about the coverage you realistically need alongside what makes the most sense financially. For example, does it really make sense to pay for a $250 deductible on a car that you only drive once a year? Do you really need coverage for hail damage if you live in Arizona? The answers will depend on your individual circumstances. It’s important for each individual to independently evaluate their circumstances and consider what car insurance makes the most sense for them, considering all factors, not just price. 

When You Need Legal Advice 

If you’ve been injured due to the negligence of another person, you may find that insurance companies aren’t always looking out for your best interests. That’s why Moxie Law Group is here. At Moxie Law Group, we’re dedicated to helping the injured receive the compensation they deserve. If you’ve been injured, contact Moxie Law Group today to begin your initial consultation.