Auto Repair and Auto Insurance Utah UT
Reader’s Question:
Hello, I’m Barry, and I’m in Utah. What happens when my car gets in a fender bender? How will I get it repaired through the auto insurance company? Do I have other options?
Barry
West Jordan, UT
If you figure in an accident, you have two options: you can have the car repaired yourself, or you can just let the auto insurance company take care of it. The first option lets you do the leg work, and the second option, of course, offers convenience.
If you decide to handle the repair yourself, you’re basically telling the auto insurance company that you’ll be the one to look for a body shop and just let them know what’s happening. This would work if you know your way around body shop land, or if you have a body shop that you prefer. This, however, can be tiring and can eat up your time.
Now, if you decide to just sit back, let the auto insurance company handle the repair. What they would do is send an insurance adjuster to inspect your car and the damage. The adjuster will then come up with an estimate.
Auto insurance companies in Utah can’t really coerce you into choosing a particular body shop. They may give you a list of ‘preferred auto repair shops,’ but you will still have the option to choose your auto repair shop.
Now, bear in mind that the repair does not mean they’ll be upgrading your car. Do not expect that. The repair shop will consider the cost and quality of the parts that were in your car, and they will get similar car parts when they fix your car.
Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance claims, car insurance, Car Insurance Company
No-Fault Auto Insurance Policy in Utah
Reader’s Question:
I live in Utah and was involved in a car accident. It has not been determined yet who was responsible for the accident. Will my liability insurance pay anyway if I was found at fault?
Lily
Ogden, UT
Liability insurance is a safeguard to your finances against serious damage you might cause to others or their property. However, proving who is at fault in a car accident can be quite difficult. More often than not, it may take delays and entail long and expensive legal action. And in the meantime, victims wait in uncertainty and may not get paid.
This is why car insurance companies created the no-fault insurance–to take the fault out of liability. This simply means that the victim’s own car insurance provider will be accountable for medical and repairs expenses incurred resulting from the accident regardless of who is responsible for the unfortunate incident. In this manner, delays and costs of legal action are eliminated.
Since Utah is a no fault state, it means that residents involved in a car accident will be covered by their respective auto insurance providers. So, you really need not worry if you were declared at fault since the other motorist’s medical expense will be shouldered by his insurer. You have to remember, though, that if the other motorist’s expenses exceed the limit set in their liability policy, then you will be held financially responsible to shoulder the remaining cost.
Effect of Utah Speeding Ticket on Auto Insurance
Reader’s Question:
I know that I am a responsible driver. I practice defensive driving and I have a level temper when I’m on the road here in Utah. Here’s the thing, now that I’ve elevated myself to a nice level, I got a ticket for not wearing my seat belt just last week. How is this going to affect my auto insurance premium?
Helen
Salt Lake City, UT
Now, we all know that your driving history will affect your auto insurance premium rate, the question is how fast and how much. Based on your self elevation sentence, I would assume that this is your first traffic violation. If that is the case, then there is a small to no chance of that affecting your auto insurance premium. Again, this is assuming that there are no speeding tickets stashed somewhere in your car. Auto insurance companies would usually consider the gravity of the offense before they do anything to your auto insurance premium rate. However, if you make this a habit, then this is not going to look good on your driving history and it will surely raise your auto insurance premium.
Besides, auto insurance companies don’t usually check your driving history if it’s not renewal time. Even if there are indeed speeding tickets stashed somewhere in your car there in Utah, it will not instantly affect your auto insurance premium. And also, you would have to be convicted first for the traffic infraction for it to appear in your driving history. If you contest it and get acquitted, then it does not exist. There are also ways of having the violation removed. Taking defensive driving classes and similar lessons would usually appease the court and not pursue the case, especially since this is your first time.
Cheap Liability Insurance Coverage in Utah
Reader’s Question:
I am getting quite confused about a lot of things regarding these insurances. I’m from Sandy, Utah, and I was about to get an auto insurance. So, I asked my friend, and he told me that I would need liability insurance. He couldn’t explain well what it was all about, though, so here I am asking.
Asher
Sandy, UT
Hi there, Asher. I also asked my agent about that liability insurance thingy, and he explained it to me quite well, actually. Anyways, I don’t know how it is there in Sandy, Utah, but as far as I know, most of the states here in the country make it compulsory that drivers have liability insurance. Just check your state’s laws for this.
By law, liability is required although you do not need to have any additional coverage. Liability is actually cool because it may protect both the other party and yourself especially if the one at fault in the accident is you. I think it covers physical injuries and it also pays for medical bills and lost wages, the properties you damaged in the accident, and also for punitive damages in case the other driver decides to see you in court.
Here is the catch, though. My agent told me the auto insurance company only covers the amount that you have purchased or less. Like if the cost of damages that were involved in the accident totals to $100,000 but the liability coverage you bought is only for $50,000, you’re in trouble because you are going to be the one to pay for the excess. And this is going to be a legal obligation that you will have to accomplish regardless of your bankruptcy or death. So, it affects you for life. It is kind of disturbing because the plaintiff has the power to sue your estate for uncollected damages. But I think it is better to have this just for protection. Just imagine if you don’t have it then suddenly need it.
New Driver Auto Insurance Rates in Utah
Reader’s Question:
This is Savannah from Layton, Utah. My parents gave me their spare car as a present, and I just got my driver’s license. If they’re covered, the car is still titled to them, would I still need my own insurance?
Savannah
Layton, UT
Good day to you, Savannah! I am Denny, and I just acquired my first car 2 months ago in pretty much the same way you did– courtesy of my parents.. Though I live just three blocks away from them, they’d like me to be as independent from them as possible. So they had the car title transferred to my name, and I had to get my own insurance because of that.
I think the main idea is that you would only need to get your own car insurance if the car were “legally” yours, so to speak– that is, if it’s titled to you. Now, I don’t know how things are with you and your parents there in Layton, Utah, but if you’re still living with them, and they have insurance for the car that is still under their name, then you shouldn’t need to get your own insurance. What you need, though, is to have them list you as the primary driver of that car. And you might also ask them if they could have you listed as an occasional driver of the other cars for good measure– as you would only get coverage for driving their other cars if your name is included in the policy.
Leased Car Auto Insurance Rates in Utah
Reader’s Question:
Is it true that the lease company will pay for your auto insurance if you are leasing a vehicle? I live in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Michelle
Salt Lake City, UT
I think that is not true. The leasing company in Salt Lake City, Utah do not pay for the car insurance if you are leasing a vehicle with them. In the leasing documents it probably states there that you are responsible for carrying not only the state minimum mandated liability car insurance on the automobile but physical damage coverages of comprehensive and collision.
If you do not maintain the proper insurance on the vehicle and the leasing company finds out about it, what could happen because of this would be determined by the terms of your leasing documents. It is possible that the leasing company place “forced” insurance on the car, which would cover their asset which is the car. Normally, forced insurance is charged to you if you let the required auto insurance lapse.
When the leasing company gets the “forced” insurance for you, these charges are subject to interest and the car insurance premiums will be higher than if you buy the auto insurance yourself. This forced insurance will provides protection to the financial institute or the bank, not you the lessee, for their interest in the vehicle.
Filign an Auto Insurance Claim in Utah
Reader’s Question:
I bought a new car last month and it is paid off. I got involved in a crash and I was at fault, my question is, will my insurance in Provo, Utah cover the vehicle or just the other party?
Pierce
Provo, UT
This will actually depend upon what auto insurance coverages you have put on your new car. If you have the comprehensive and collision coverages then your vehicle is protected by your car insurance policy. So if you are at fault in a crash your liability coverages would cover cover your own car and those that you caused damage to.
If you did not place collision coverage on your car, then you would not have any coverage on your car and so could not make a car insurance claim.
Most drivers that have a new vehicle will want to protect their vehicle, by placing both comprehensive and collision coverages on the car. Those with a lease or loan on a car will normally be required to have the physical damage coverages of comprehensive and collision on their vehicle. If an individual owns more than what a vehicle is worth they would also want to obtain GAP insurance that would cover the balance between what the automobile is worth and what they owe on the vehicle.
If you are not sure of what car insurance coverages you have on your car insurance policy in Provo, Utah, then read over your car insurance policy and talk with your car insurance agent for verification. If you do have collision coverage on your car insurance policy then you could place a first party claim with your insurance company for the damages your vehicle sustained in an at-fault accident.
Free Auto Insurance Quotes in Utah
Reader’s Question:
Is it possible to purchase car insurance in Orem Utah if my license is suspended?
Robert
Orem, UT
Each insurance providers in Orem, UT has different guidelines. With some insurance companies they can offer you an insurance policy that will provide forty five days for you to get a valid drivers license. Some insurance companies will offer you a car insurance quote on a policy if you are in the process of having your license reinstated.
You will need to obtain a car insurance quote here and check if there is an insurance provider that will cover you with a suspend license or with higher points.
Each state has different laws license suspension for driving without insurance. You will have to pay the fine and obtain auto insurance, purchasing insurance doesn’t remove the fine for driving without insurance.
Auto Insurance Taylorsville, Utah UT
Reader’s Question:
Is it possible to have 2 separate auto insurance policies for 2 separate people on the same vehicle in Taylorsville, Utah?
Gene
Taylorsville, UT
It might be possible to have two separate car insurance polices for 2 different people on one car in Taylorsville, Utah. Auto insurance guidelines vary though so you would have to verify with an insurance carrier to check if what you want is possible.
This type of double insurance on a car is typically not necessary and may go against insurer’s underwriting guidelines, since hopefully 1 insurance policy would be able to cover all the drivers of the car.
A situation that I can think of where 2 auto insurance policies might be put on the same car is if there is a co-signer on a vehicle that wants insurance on it in case the primary driver does not carry their insurance on it as they should. Each person in this type of situation would have insurable interest in the car. If the drivers involved did not have insurable interest in the car, than it could be hard for them to put coverage on it.
Tags: auto insurance
Cheap Student Car Insurance in Utah
Reader’s Question:
I am an 18 year old student in Salt Lake City, Utah and 18 years old. The auto insurance premium is too expensive for me. My brother lives in another state. Can I insure my vehicle by using my brother’s name?
Mark
Salt Lake City, UT
I do not think it would be possible to insure your car under your brother’s name. One is that your brother does not own your vehicle and he lives out of state. Even if you place the vehicle in his name it would probably still be hard for him to add the car, and you as a driver, to his insurance policy since the vehicle will be garaged out of state with you.
If you were to insure the vehicle under your brother’s name and left your name off the insurance policy to get cheaper car insurance rates you would be guilty of fraud in the form of material misrepresentation. This type of fraud happens when someone knowingly lies to get some advantage or benefit to which they are not otherwise entitled. Giving false information such as not having your name on the auto insurance policy would thus be illegal and if found out not only would insurance claims be denied but the whole insurance policy would be canceled.
The best thing to do is to shop around for auto insurance quote in Salt Lake City.