Can I have the title of the vehicle under my name and have the car insurance under my mother’s insurance policy in Covington, KY?

Thomas

Covington, KY

Insurance carriers in Covington, KY have different guidelines so you will have to know for sure if your father’s insurance would permit this type of set up for car insurance. One must have insurable interest in order to insure a car. If you want your mother to insure your vehicle, instead of yourself, then many insurance providers would not permit this since she does not have insurable interest in the car.

If you live in the same household as your mother and want to add the vehicle to her current insurance policy this may be permitted, again it will depend upon what her insurance carrier’s underwriting guidelines are. If instead you live outside of her household and thus the vehicle is garaged at a different address then it is unlikely that an insurance carrier would allow her to insure the vehicle under her insurance policy.

I was found to be at-fault in an accident and the other driver filed a claim against my car insurance company for property damage. He quoted about $5,000 that he said he lost in diminished value. Is there such a thing as “diminished value” claim that is payable under my auto insurance policy?

Chelsea

Fayette, KY

If you just heard about a “diminished value” claim, it does exist. This claim is based on the idea that any car that has been in an accident, regardless of how well the repairs are done, is worth less than the exact same car that hasn’t been in an accident.

The physical damage section of an auto insurance policy does not usually cover claims for a car’s “diminished value” after an accident. It applies to direct and accidental damage only. By definition, direct damage is the actual physical damage done to the car, not a loss in value.

This is the reason why some courts began to question this approach and ruled that since diminution in value was not specifically excluded by the terms of the policy, it was covered.

However, a diminished value claim is a liability claim for property damage and cannot be judged in the same light as a physical damage claim. Under a liability claim, the insurer agrees to pay damages for property damage for which the insured is legally responsible because of an auto accident. If you’re legally liable for the damages of the claimant, then whatever the amount for which you’re liable for is the amount the policy will pay. Be aware that it still is subject to the limit of liability amounts.

It’s always advisable to contact your insurance agent in Fayette, KY or your insurance company directly to have a further discussion regarding the terms of your policy.

A: Anybody can be added to your auto insurance policy within reason, and if the person who is getting the learner’s permit is related to you or lives with you, then it may even be necessary. Everybody who has some kind of driving permission must drive an insured car, and regardless of age or learning status, if they are pulled over while uninsured, they will suffer the consequences, which in some cases could include not being able to get their driver’s license when they turn 16. If you have someone with a learner’s permit who is living in your house and you don’t name them on your policy, then if they ever get into a car accident, your company would be able to deny their claim. Your company could also cancel your policy as soon as they found out.

If you want to add a young driver to your car insurance policy but don’t want to pay outrageous rates, you can put them to work on getting discounts. Your new driver should be enrolled in a general driver’s education course, and you can enroll him or her in a defensive driving course as well and be provided with a discount for it.

A: As the driver of a new car, your responsibility for the well being of your car rises. Your financer, who you are paying for the car, doesn’t want to lose thousands of dollars because you wreck your car and then default on the payments, so a system is set up. If you want your new car, then you need to have collision, comprehensive, and gap insurance on your car insurance policy. If you don’t do this, your financer can take your car back.

You can make this cheaper by taking on even more responsibility, this time with your car insurance company. With the more money your insurance company has to pay when you file a claim, the more you will have to pay on your monthly premiums to make up for that. You can save here by raising your deductibles so that you have to pay out more before your insurance will kick in in the event of an accident.

Another way you can save a little bit of money is by paying your insurance all at once, for the entire six months to a year.

The BEST way to lower your rates is by raising your deductible amount to as high as you feel comfortable.  This will have a drastic impact on your annual premiums.