What are some of the California auto insurance laws that CA residents need to know? California is a tort law state for auto insurance, which basically means you can sue the other party if you are injured in a car accident. There are several other car insurance laws that consumers in the Golden State should be aware of before looking for car insurance.
In California, the law requires you to carry at least liability coverage in the limits of 15/30/5, which means:
$15,000 bodily injury coverage per person hurt in a car accident
$30,000 bodily injury coverage per accident in total
$5,000 coverage for property damage liability
This coverage is to protect others in case of an accident where you are deemed to be at fault. However, the minimum limits are very low and are unlikely to be sufficient to cover the expenses of a serious car accident. In this case you could be personally sued for the excess. For this reason it makes sense to carry higher limits of liability coverage.
There is a California which law requires insurers to give the lowest price to the consumer that he or she is eligible for. All companies operating in the state must have a toll-free number and/or a web site with quote capabilities available to consumers in order to meet the requirements of this law.
CA car insurance laws state that when you purchase liability coverage the insurer must offer you uninsured motorist coverage. If you decide against it, you must actually sign a form stating that you have declined this coverage.
Now that you are fully aware of the California auto insurance laws that you need to know, you are ready to start shopping for California car insurance. You can get started quickly and easily by using an online quote tool. In no time, you’ll be comparing a variety of quotes from top CA insurers.
By: James J. Robinson
Posts Tagged ‘Property Damage Liability’
California Auto Insurance Laws – CA Car Insurance Laws That You Need to Know
January 24th, 2010What Are The Auto Liability Insurance State Minimums For My State?
January 20th, 2010
As you shop online for the best auto insurance deals you may begin to ask yourself what exactly is required by law when it comes to auto insurance. Fortunately this article outlines the auto liability insurance state minimums that you are required to have in order to legally drive in the United States. No matter what state you drive in all of them have financial responsibility laws and require motorists to purchase minimum amounts of auto liability insurance except for Tennessee, Wisconsin and New Hampshire.
Many websites and advocates of insurance (to include myself) recommend having a minimum of $100,000 for bodily injury protection per person and at least $300,000 for property damage costs and physical injury costs. The main reason for this is due to the increased amount of money needed to rectify an accident is usually more then what the states declare as the minimum amount of insurance coverage needed.
I have compiled the following information from the American Insurance Association, the Property Casualty Insurers Association, and the Insurance Information Institute. It shows the auto liability insurance state minimums as required by each state. In order to understand the numbers you must know what the mean. The first two numbers are for bodily injury liability and the third number represents the minimum amount of property damage liability.
As an example my home state of Missouri shows the following – Missouri 25/50/10. This means Missouri requires as a minimum coverage up to $50,000 for all persons injured in an accident, subject to a limit of $25,000 for one individual, and $10,000 coverage for property damage.
Alabama 20/40/10 Alaska 50/100/25 Arizona 15/30/10 Arkansas 25/50/25
California 15/30/5 Colorado 25/50/15 Connecticut 20/40/10 Delaware 15/30/5
D.C. 25/50/10 Florida 10/20/10 Georgia 25/50/25 Hawaii 20/40/10
Idaho 25/50/15 Illinois 20/40/15 Indiana 25/50/10 Iowa 20/40/15
Kansas 25/50/10 Kentucky 25/50/10 Louisiana 10/20/10 Maine 50/100/25
Maryland 20/40/15 Massachusetts 20/40/5 Michigan 20/40/10 Minnesota 30/60/10
Mississippi 10/20/05 Missouri 25/50/10 Montana 25/50/10 Nebraska 25/50/25
Nevada 15/30/10 New Hampshire 25/50/25 New Jersey 15/30/5 New Mexico 25/50/10 New York 25/50/10 North Carolina 30/60/25 North Dakota 25/50/25 Ohio 12.5/25/7.5
Oklahoma 10/20/10 Oregon 25/50/10 Pennsylvania 15/30/5 Rhode Island 25/50/25
South Carolina 15/30/10 South Dakota 25/50/25 Tennessee 25/50/10 Texas 20/40/15
Utah 25/50/15 Vermont 25/50/10 Virginia 25/50/20 Washington 25/50/10
West Virginia 20/40/10 Wisconsin 25/50/10 Wyoming 25/50/20
Remember these figures only represent auto insurance liability state minimums. Many experts agree that more insurance is needed in order to fully protect yourself in the event you’re involved in an automobile accident.
By: Tim Gorman
How To Get Low Cost Auto Insurance In Tampa Florida
January 12th, 2010
Looking for low cost auto insurance in Tampa Florida? Want to know how to get the cheapest rate with a top company? Read on …
Minimum Auto Insurance in Tampa Florida
The least amount of auto insurance you’re required to carry in Tampa Florida is:
$10,000 bodily injury liability coverage for one person – This is the maximum amount your insurance will pay when you injure or kill someone in an auto accident. It also covers people driving your car with your permission.
$20,000 bodily injury liability coverage for everyone – This is the maximum amount your insurance will pay for everyone you injure or kill in an auto accident.
$10,000 property damage liability coverage – This is the maximum amount your insurance will pay when you damage someone else’s vehicle in an auto accident. .
Personal Injury Protection – This coverage pays your medical expenses and your passengers medical expenses when you’re involved in an accident. It also pays you and your family’s medical expenses when you’re injured in someone else’s car or while walking.
These are the minimum amounts of insurance you need to carry in Tampa Florida, so if you want the cheapest insurance this is all you need to buy. However, you may also want to carry the following coverages:
Collision coverage – Pays for repairs to your car when it’s involved in an accident with another vehicle no matter who was at fault.
Comprehensive coverage – Pays for repairs to your car caused by fire, theft, vandalism, and acts of nature.
To save money on collision and comprehensive coverage, increase your deductible to an amount you can afford to pay if you were to file a claim
Low Cost Auto Insurance in Tampa Florida
Premiums for the same insurance coverage can vary significantly from one company to the next, so in order to get the best rate on your auto insurance you need to compare rates from different companies. The easiest way to do this is to go to an online comparison website. There you can get rate quotes from A-rated companies and even get answers to your insurance questions from insurance experts.
By: Brian Stevens