Sunday, December 7, 2008

New York State Insurance Department's Consumer FAQs re Auto Insurance

The New York State Insurance Department recently updated its Consumer FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) for Auto Insurance on its website, addressing the following questions:
  • How much insurance must I carry?
  • What is the difference between "cancellation" and "non-renewal" of a policy?
  • My policy has been canceled! Can the company do this?
  • My insurer says it won't renew my policy. What can I do?
  • Why am I in the "assigned-risk" plan, why is it so expensive, and how do I get out of it?
  • Are my auto insurance rates affected by where I live?
  • What discounts can I get on my car insurance?
  • Can my insurance company raise my premium due to an accident or traffic ticket?
  • Why are auto insurance rates higher for younger drivers?
  • Is my insurance company allowed to automatically include my son/daughter on my policy?
  • How do I know if I am being charged the right premium?
  • My insurance company is rating me based on something (an accident or traffic ticket) that didn't happen. Where does this information come from and how can I correct any errors?
  • What is a "deductible"?
  • Am I protected by my insurance when I drive a rental car?
  • What if I don’t have a motor vehicle insurance policy when I rent a motor vehicle?
  • What happens if I am injured by an uninsured vehicle?
  • May an insurance company charge installment fees?
  • I am going to a broker to purchase an insurance policy. What should I know or ask to make an informed decision?
  • My broker gave me a quote on my automobile insurance, but when I got the policy the premium was much higher. Do I have to pay the premium that the insurance company is asking for? Why?
  • The insurance company pays the broker a commission on my policy, why do I have to pay a broker's fee?
  • I was involved in an accident and the police report provided a three digit code for the other party's insurer. How do I find out what company is represented by this code?
  • I had an accident or loss. How do I submit a claim?
  • What is an adjuster?
  • What is an appraisal clause?
  • I was involved in an accident or my car was stolen. How much is my automobile worth?
  • Does the insurance company have to utilize the Red Book and the NADA book when valuating a total loss?
  • What is my "right of recourse"?
Maybe some of the folks who found their way to this blog within the past 30 days via the following search terms would have found these FAQs and their answers useful:
  • auto theft sui deny claim un authorized driver
  • can an automobile insurance company deny coverage if intoxicated
  • can insurance company deny your auto claim after you have done euo?
  • denial letter insurance attorney coverage counsel
  • does home owners liability coverage cover my son who was injured in an auto accident after leaving a party
  • how to determine who is lying about an auto accident
  • insurance broker gave me no proof of insurance
  • lying about auto accident liability
  • my excuses for the late notice
There are several "free legal advice" websites that are now operating in the World Wide Web on which people may post questions for attorneys. Two such sites are Avvo and Free Advice. You know what they say about things that are free, though. Still, the number of people who obviously use Google and other search engines to do rudimentary legal research continues to surprise and intrigue me. Such is this koverage kiosk on the information superhighway.

No comments: