International Driver’s License and Auto Insurance
Reader’s Question:
I’m from Tennessee. My friend from Italy borrowed and drove my car. He got involved in an accident which caused $1,200 damage to my car. When I submitted the claim, my agent asked for my friend’s international driver’s license. My friend is reluctant to give his driver’s license since he is worried that this will affect him in terms of denied auto insurance coverage in the future since he is planning to eventually work here. Would this really be the case?
Carl
Knoxville, TN
Before a foreign visitor can drive legally in the United States, he or she is required to get an International Driver’s License (IDP) from his or her home country before even setting foot in America. An IDP verifies that the foreigner has a valid driver’s license in his or her country of origin. This license then allows them to legally operate a motor vehicle on the public roads of the United States before they obtain their US license.
In your case, your auto insurance company in Tennessee may be demanding to see your friend’s international license to verify if he was legally permitted to drive in the United States. It is not probable that this claim will be attributed to him when he applies for a US driver’s license and car insurance coverage in the future. This particular claim is under your auto insurance policy, so his insurance rates in the future should not be affected.
It is unfortunate, though, that a claim this big will definitely mar your insurance record. This information will be used by auto insurance companies as a basis to raise your premiums. You may see an increase in your future auto insurance rates because of this particular claim even if the accident was your friend’s fault.
Collision Insurance Coverage
Reader’s Question:
My boyfriend borrowed my vehicle to buy something from the grocery store and he was rear-ended a driver who proceeded to drive off. I would like to know if I make a claim from my car insurance company in Knoxville, Tennessee to cover the damages to the bumper, will my auto insurance be affected since my boyfriend is not on my car insurance policy.
Samantha
Knoxville, TN
You will have to verify with your insurance company to determine if your car insurance coverages is extended to your boyfriend while he was driving your car under under your car insurance policy terms. If you give permission to somebody to drive your vehicle, normally car insurance coverage extends to them.
If your boyfriend resides in the same household with you and you did not add him as a licensed household motorist your insurance carrier may deny the claim however if he resides somewhere else and occasionally borrows the vehicle your insurance carrier in Knoxville, Tennessee will likely not take issue with his driving it. If your insurance carrier does not have an issue with your boyfriend driving the vehicle then you should be able to make a car insurance claim against your collision coverage.
Vehicle Insurance Cost
Reader’s Question:
I plan to travel for extended period of time and will not be taking my vehicle. Is it possible to have my car insurance suspended to save money in Knoxville?
Sandra
Knoxville, TN
Most states require that all registered cars carry a minimum amount of insurance coverage, thus suspending your insurance coverage may also mean dealing with the hassles of canceling or suspending your registration and reinstating it when you get back.
Whatever you do, do not stop paying your car insurance premiums. You may choose to cancel your car insurance policy in Knoxville, Tennessee, and then buy a new policy when you get back but know that a canceled auto insurance policy can appear on your credit report, and can make it extremely hard and expensive for you to obtain car insurance coverage in the future.
You have to weigh the insurance costs of canceling your auto insurance coverage and starting it again versus canceling your car insurance and car registration and then starting your auto insurance and car registration again.
Nashville SR22 Insurance
Q: I’ve tried a few companies looking for a Nashville SR22 policy, but can’t seem to get insured. Where can I go to buy Nashville SR22 insurance?
A: I can’t give you a concrete answer to where exactly you should go to get Nashville SR22 insurance, since companies in different areas will have different policies, but I can give you a general idea. If you’ve already looked at the usual suspects for car insurance coverage and have come away uninsured, then it would be good strategy for you to start looking among the car insurance companies which are for high risk drivers. Companies like these typically insure people who have cars which are too risky for your average car insurance provider, as well as people who’ve filed several claims or have a lot of traffic tickets. Most of the time, they will also sell Nashville SR22 policies.
Sometimes, of course, for one reason or another, often because you have more problems in addition to needing Nashville SR22 insurance, a car insurance company will deny you. If this happens to you, then you can choose to join the assigned risk pool with the state insurance department, and they will hand you over to a company for a higher price.
Loading ...