Reader’s Question:

I just moved here in Anchorage, Alaska, and I bought a used car. what’s the difference between standard and nonstandard insurance? Or when do I apply for one and not the other? Which is better?

Karen

Anchorage, AK

Hello, Karen. Choosing between standard and nonstandard auto insurance is really not a matter of preference or cost-efficiency. The insurance companies will be the one to decide which one is most suitable to you. Standard insurance is the one we usually have. It’s for drivers with few violations, regular, virtually, risk-free jobs, healthy (or not very, very sick), etc. Basically, it’s what average Joes (and Joannes) like you and I purchase. Standard insurance costs less than non-standard insurance. Non-standard insurance is usually purchased by those with motor vehicle violations or have recently figured in an accident. if you have several minor violations, you will be a likely candidate for nonstandard car insurance.

If you figured in a DUI situation, the state will require you to have nonstandard insurance. Another reason why others have non-standard insurance is because of a high-risk job or lifestyle. A race car driver or a movie car-chase stuntman may not likely be offered standard car insurance because of the risks of their lifestyle. A person who owns a sports car will most likely be offered nonstandard auto insurance. This can also be influenced by the result of the medicals exam and background checks done by the car insurance company. Simply put, if you are deemed to be a high-risk driver, you will be offered nonstandard insurance. To check which one is suitable for you, you should contact an auto insurance company there in Anchorage, AK.

Tags: auto insurance, high risk insurance

Reader’s Question:

My daughter just got into an accident in Anchorage, Alaska with two other vehicles and totaled her car and it was her fault. As it turns out her insurance had cancelled on her before the accident. Will she have to pay out of pocket for the damages to the other cars or will the insurance on the other two vehicles cover it?

Jane

Anchorage, AK

There are 2 types of uninsured motorist coverages, one is for bodily injury and the other one is for property damage coverage. The other vehicle owner would need to have the property damage coverage to claim the damages on their cars with uninsured motorist. If the motorists do not have this coverage they might have collision coverage which they could make their vehicle damage claims under.

Even if the other car owners have insurance to cover their damages they might decide to come after your uninsured daughter to reimburse them for their deductible or damages. If the motorists do not have coverages that will take care of their own property damage then most states including Alaska would allow them to take your daughter, the at-fault party, to court to try and get a judgment against her that would pay them for their damages.

Tags: car, car insurance

Q: Who is able to get a cheap SR22 quote?

A: You phrase your question in an interesting, but insightful way. Usually it is asked what car, what this, what that can get a cheap SR22 quote, but who is also very relevant, because many rating factors are based on the named drivers.

A person who will get a cheap SR22 quote will likely have a good driving record. Said person is married and stable, has a car which is a few years old and sturdy and safe, has never filed a claim or done so very rarely, or has at least never been in an at fault accident. Has a record with few tickets. Shops for his or her car insurance often.

A person who will get a cheap SR22 quote is probably older than 25, and preferably between the ages of 55 and 65. Said person does not drive their car all of the time, and keeps the mileage under a certain amount every year. This person only has the coverage which is absolutely necessary, and for all other coverages pays a deductible.

Q: For how long will I need to file DUIsr22 insurance coverage?

A: If you have a DUI, then the DUIsr22 insurance are pretty stiff. Once you are able to reinstate your license, then the clock begins ticking on your SR22 requirement, and it doesn’t stop ticking for five years. Of course, that’s only on your first drunk driving offense. The more often you do the crime, the longer you’ll do the time, if they let you have your driver’s license back at all.

Once you have committed your second DUI offense, you are now required to file DUIsr22 insurance for double the time–10 years instead of the original five. It gets worse. The third time around, you will be filing for two decades, twenty years. And the fourth time? You’re going to be paying that DUIsr22 insurance forever–the requirement is lifelong.

So, learn your lesson with this DUI and don’t go back. If you have to have your SR22 for any other reason, such as driving without insurance, then the punishment period is much shorter–only three years. And if you aren’t insured during that time, you have to reinstate your license once more because it will be suspended.

Q: I ran into another car backing into a parking lot yesterday. It only put a small dent in their car, and nothing on mine. I figure I could just pay for it in cash. Is this better than filing a claim with my SR-22 car insurance certificate company?

A: It could be, but any time you choose to pay another driver for damages in cash rather than going through your SR-22 car insurance certificate, you’re making a gamble which could be very dangerous. You’re talking about a stranger. You don’t know what they’ll do with your money. Maybe they’ll spend it and then file a claim. Maybe they’ll go to your company and claim more damages than are really there. It’s unknown.

Also, you don’t really know if the damages are as small as you say they are. Are you a mechanic? Have you checked both cars entirely? Sometimes small accidents can trigger bigger internal problems in a vehicle which wouldn’t show up until later, by which time it would be too late for you to get your money back. Same thing goes for injuries–you may not feel it at the time, but later you could start having headaches and backaches and so on, and then you’ll be paying for all of that. It’s always best to just file a claim with your SR-22 car insurance certificate if you are in an accident with another driver.

Q: How does the Sr22 certificate work?

A: The Sr22 certificate process is pretty simple. In order to get your license returned to you and revalidated after you have had it suspended for some reason, you have to file proof of insurance with the Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles. Proof of insurance, in this case, is called an Sr22 certificate, and takes form of a form which is filed by your car insurance company.

Your company will typically fill the form out and then send you the form so that you can sign it. After that, how your Sr22 certificate ends up filed depends on the company. Some require you to bring it in yourself when you go to the DMV and get your license back. Others want you to mail or fax it back to them so that they can send it end to the DMV. Some even file the Sr22 certificate electronically. It will be done at least within 48 hours and at least within 30 days. Remember that it has to be already on file for you to get your license.

Now, your Sr22 certificate will stay on file so long as you promptly pay your car insurance. When you don’t, your company files something else, this time without you–an SR26 or certificate of cancellation. When this happens, no more license for you.