Reader’s Question:

Hello, I’m from Portland, Oregon. I just bought my first car but doesn’t have enough money yet for a comprehensive coverage. Will I be arrested if in case I bump another car since definitely I won’t have money to pay cash either?

Lester

Portland, Oregon

Good question, Lester. Well, it will all depend on the severity of the accident and the circumstances at hand. Are there body injuries involved? Does the other party have insurance? What kind of vehicle insurance coverage does he have? Does the other driver have a valid license? Do you have a valid license? Were you drunk during the accident? Did you pass the sobriety test? Did the other driver passed the sobriety test? We’re you distracted while you where driving? Did the other driver have something to drink? Was there a third car involved? And maybe a lot more other things may be involved.

Well, Lester, in case the other driver does not a license to drive, you should be off the hook. But, in any case it was found out that it was your fault and you have no insurance to cover damages, then your last resort would be to find a good lawyer. Probably, the other party will seek legal action against you as you are a hazard on the road. Having mentioned that you just bought your first car, I take it you are a teenager. Well, Lester, I hope you take vehicle insurance more seriously. We can never tell when accidents happen. Your automotive insurance will be your only shield in times of accidents so I hope you get one. There are lots of types of insurance out there. You can choose what will fit your budget. Happy driving in Portland, Oregon, Lester.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance cost

Reader’s Question:

I live in Hillsboro, Oregon. I am just curious as to how many days does an insurance carrier settle a car insurance claim?

Karen

Hillsboro, OR

If you place a car insurance claim you have a right to be notified of the process to be used to settle your car insurance claim and the update of your claim. This is according to the Oregon Insurance Division. Insurance carriers must respond to the car insurance claim that has been filed within 30 days. Insurance carriers must finish an investigation of a claim within forty five days, unless they need additional time.

Generally, insurance providers try to pay car insurance claims in a reasonable amount of time.

In some situation, the progress of the car insurance claim may become slow due to special cases or if a claim adjuster has an increased case load or extreme weather events.

If you would like to know more about car insurance claim in Hillsboro, Oregon you may contact the Oregon Insurance Division directly. To check if your insurance provider has any time limits with regards to car insurance claims beyond the Oregon state laws, read over your car insurance policy and check with both your insurance agent and the claims adjuster working on your claim.

Tags: auto insurance claims, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

I have a driver license and I do not own a vehicle in Gresham, Oregon. Am I required to obtain car insurance if I do not own a vehicle?

Harry

Gresham, OR

If you do not own a vehicle, or have one in your household in which you should be added on the car insurance policy as a driver for, then you do not have to obtain car insurance.

According to the Oregon DMV you are required to show proof of insurance prior to taking a drive test and during the course of certain vehicle-related transactions.

You do have to make sure that when you drive anyone’s vehicle that their car insurance will cover you if you get involved in an accident. If you get involved in an accident and either the person’s automobile you are operating does not have car insurance or their insurance does not cover you to operate the automobile then you can be cited for driving uninsured.

If you do not have a vehicle in Gresham, Oregon but want an car insurance policy to cover you for operating other people’s vehicles you may check about obtaining a non-owner’s policy.

Tags: auto insurance, non owners insurance

Reader’s Question:

I do not own a vehicle but I do have a drivers license in Beaverton, OR. I am just wondering if I am required to carry some sort of insurance even though I do not own a car?

Bradley

Beaverton, OR

If you do not own a vehicle or have one in your household in which you should be on the car insurance policy as a motorist for, then normally just because you have a driver’s license in Beaverton Oregon you do not have to carry car insurance.

Although you do not need auto insurance on yourself just to have an Oregon driver’s license you do need to be sure when you operate anyone’s vehicle that their insurance will cover you if you are in a crash. If you get involved in an accident and either the person’s vehicle you are driving is uninsured or their car insurance does not cover you to operate the car than you can be cited for driving uninsured.

If you do not own a vehicle in which to put insurance on but want a car insurance policy to cover you for driving other people’s vehicles you should check about obtaining a non-owner’s policy.

Tags: auto insurance, non owners insurance

Reader’s Question:

Can I purchase insurance to cover any car that I might use in Oregon?

Marit

Beaverton, OR

When you purchase car insurance to cover your car it may also over you when you drive other cars, depending upon state laws and the terms of your car insurance policy.

Your insurance will normally provide you with coverage for liability and any optional coverages you put on your car when you are driving your vehicle. Most insurance policies will also extend this coverage to rental company cars as well, but again it varies according to the terms of your auto insurance policy.

If you do not own a vehicle but want a car insurance policy for yourself and to follow you no matter what vehicle you drive then you could get a non-owners policy. This non owners policy generally would cover you for a rental vehicle and it would be secondary or excess if you were driving your friend’s car.

Reader’s Question:

I have a license and insurance in VT . I got involved in an accident but during that time my insurance was lapsed so I just want to know what will happen and what should I do? the other car was totaled and the accident happened in Oregon.

Harry

Thank you for asking Harry.

Driving without insurance is considered a class B traffic violation in Oregon. Oregon has a mandatory insurance law which requires every driver to insure their vehicle.

Driving without the mandated liability insurance may result in fines and suspension of your drivers license. If you are caught driving without insurance and are involved in a an accident, your driving privileges will be suspended for 1 year. After the suspension period ends you will have to carry an SR-22 for 3 years. If you were at fault in the accident then you likely also be held responsible for the damages you caused to the other party.

Since you have a Vermont license and registration the penalties might be a little different but probably just as severe.

Since you have a lapse in your VT car insurance you may verify with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles to know if your registration and/or driver’s license have not been suspended.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Reader’s Question:

I am a mailman and I got a DUI and Im required to get sr22. What do I need to do since I need to drive to work? Am I going to be covered by my company’s insurance while Im at work? Im in Salem Oregon, going to college……had way to much fun at a party and got in trouble :).

Gene

Thank you for asking Gene.

According to the Oregon DOT site an SR-22 is a certificate from an Oregon-licensed insurance company certifying that you have purchased liability insurance that meets the minimum required limits of coverage.

The OR DMV requires that your insurance company file an SR-22 certificate with DMV if, for example:

* You failed to provide proof to DMV that you have liability insurance,
* You’ve been convicted of driving without insurance,
* You’ve been involved in an uninsured accident,
* You are applying for a hardship or probationary permit, or
* At the time of reinstating your driving privileges following a DUII suspension.

It seems that Oregon State is requiring you to carry the SR-22 to reinstate your license after a DUII suspension. Oregon law requires you to keep a SR-22 in effect for 3 years from the ending date of a suspension which requires an SR-22 or for 3 years and 33 days from the date of a driving uninsured conviction.

As for your work, you will need to contact your employer’s insurance provider as well as your own insurance company to make sure you are properly covered for driving it with your current situation. You will need to check with them to get a definitive answer since insurance companies guidelines and terms of policies differ.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Reader’s Question:

I received a speeding ticket while driving in the state of Oregon but I live in Canada. Should I just pay the fine? Will this be reported back to Canada? Should I buy cheap short term auto insurance while I am staying in Oregon?

Mike

Thank you for asking Mike.

All provinces in Canada have a reciprocal agreement with Ontario regarding traffic infractions. The Ontario courts or MTO share Ontario traffic tickets with Michigan and New York. She said they may still inform licensing agencies of other states that were not reciprocal states but she couldn’t confirm if it was done regularly for any states other than MI and NY.

Once speeding ticket that you received is placed on your Ontario, Canada driving record, then your insurance provider could see if the next time they pull your MVR and therefore your insurance rates may be affected.

Driver must always comply with a traffic violation by either paying the fine or fighting it in court. If you do not take care of a ticket that is received out of state there is the chance that the state that issued the citation will come after you and affect your license. In addition to that if you have a failure to appear on your record in this may affect your driving privileges in Oregon if you travel there again. If you do pay the fine after the court date the fine and court fees are likely to be higher than if you paid on time.

You may contact the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) for Ontario to get more information on how a ticket in Oregon could affect your license in Ontario.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Q: I’m working on paying off a lot of debt, but my Bend SR22 is so high that it’s taking a lot of my money. How is that? I know they’re expensive, but I think this is a little too much.

A: As you said, Bend SR22 policies are expensive, and that’s just a fact of life. However, based on some of the other details in your question, your SR22 status might not be the main force behind the rate rise on your car insurance policy. Your debt could be.

Did you know that most car insurance companies check your credit and use what they find there to rate your policy? Companies use something called an insurance risk score, which is a number like a credit score which they arrive at from looking at your credit report. It isn’t the exact same thing as a credit score, as the two numbers are derived in different ways, though. Your car insurance company will look at how often you make payments rather than how many accounts you have or how high the balances is.

Doesn’t seem fair? Car insurance companies have conducted studies and they have show that Bend SR22 policy holders with bad credit file more claims than the rest, which is where the basis for credit rating in insurance comes from.

Q: I got a DUI and I am told that if I want to have a license again, I will have to get Springfield SR22 insurance. Here’s the catch, though–I don’t own a car. Still, I want my license. How do I get it some other way?

A: Actually, there is no other way for you to get your driver’s license back. If you want it, then you have to get Springfield SR22 insurance. However, consider why you need it. Do you just want a license for no particular reason, or do you have to use other people’s cars often? If you aren’t doing much driving, then you might as well just wait it out.

If you do drive, though, you can get a Springfield SR22 non owners car insurance policy, which are policies for people who need insurance but who do not own their own cars. Your non owner policy will include liability and personal injury coverage, but you won’t be able to add any more coverage onto that.

Springfield SR22 for non owners is kind of costly as well, so make sure you’re willing to take up the payments before you get into it. Also, it only covers any car which you drive but do not own, so if you go out and buy a car, you need a different kind of policy.