Frequently Axed Questions

Q

I’ve lost my insurance ID card, but need to renew my tags at the license office. What do I do?

A

Wear comfortable shoes. Those lines at the DMV can be rather long, especially near the end of the month.

Seriously

We will be glad to send current proof of insurance wherever you’d like. E-mail, fax or snail mail, tell us your delivery preference and we’ll get the ID cards to you right away. Some of our companies also offer online servicing that may even allow you to get your hands on whatever you need even sooner.

Q

Will my auto policy cover a rental car?

A

No. Opened up and unfolded, it really will only cover the area about half the size of the sunroof.

Seriously

Generally, the broadest coverages you carry on at least one vehicle listed on the policy transfer to a car you rent. If you’ve got full coverage, you needn’t purchase additional coverage at the rental counter (though it’s not all bad what they try selling you). The physical damage waiver sold by the rental company often provides first-dollar coverage, meaning if something bad happens, you walk scot free. When you don’t take their coverage, claims turned in on your policy may be subject to your deductible or may result in higher premiums for the next few renewals.

Here’s an article that discusses in depth the reasons you should consider the rental company’s coverage: http://www.trustedchoice.com/Content/Articles/rental-car-insurance.aspx

Q

Does my auto policy provide coverage in Mexico?

A

I’m sorry. At this time I don’t speak Spanish. I’m rather fluent in authentic frontier gibberish, but not Spanish.

Seriously

No matter which company we have our customers placed with, they have no coverage for driving in Mexico. Our policies define the coverage territory as the United States, its territories or possessions, Puerto Rico, and Canada. That means you can’t count on your auto policy covering you for driving abroad, either. (As an aside: Driving abroad sounds dirty, but isn’t. Or doesn’t need to be. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.)

There are a few exceptions where the policy may provide limited physical damage coverage in Mexico within so many miles of the U.S. border. However, it’s widely believed accidents are treated as criminal offenses under Mexican law, so it’s a necessity to purchase coverage sold in that country. It is also widely believed that some who didn’t and had a fender bender south of the border have never been seen or heard from since.

Q

Whose insurance covers a car I borrow?

A

The policy that’s paid and currently in force.

Seriously

Think of the insurance coverage staying with the car. The vehicle owner’s policy provides primary coverage up to the liability limits listed on the policy for that car and subject to the physical damage deductibles shown. If that policy was deficient in covering the entire loss, then the driver’s insurance would likely step in to provide coverage on a secondary basis, up to those policy limits.

Some policies may limit the amount of liability coverage it provides when the insured vehicle is being driven by someone not listed as an operator on the policy. There are some cases where certain (crappy) drivers may be excluded from coverage entirely, a situation that may help lower the premium or even make the risk acceptable from the company’s standpoint. Named driver exclusions like that are always spelled out in writing and signed for by the policyholder, so it should come as no surprise if a claim was denied because of an excluded driver.

Q

Why do you insist on having us report claims direct to the company’s 24-hour claims number?

A

Because we don’t have time to listen to people bitch and moan all day about all the idiot drivers they encounter out on the roads and highways around here.

Seriously

Insurance companies have made tremendous strides over the years in improving overall customer claims experiences and a lot of that can be attributed to immediate reporting of the loss. Many times, arrangements for estimates and rental vehicles can be made right away. Quick contact with all interested parties following an accident can help head off any bogus injury claims that could pop up if the matter lingered unattended.

We don’t mind taking the information and filing the claim on your behalf, but we’re always asked certain questions we’re unable to answer. We weren’t there at the scene and we don’t keep track of the color of everyone’s car or what their license plate number is. And, we can’t very well coordinate schedules for estimates or inspections the way you can. What we think may be convenient for you could turn out to be anything but.

Finally

The advice offered here is not specific to any one person or company and any similarities to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The generalities described in the paragraphs above are examples of classic insurance misdirection, designed to answer questions in such an ambiguous way that you really don’t know what you just read. One must always consult their actual policy for all terms, conditions and exclusions.

Meadow Park Insurance Agency is proud to have a licensed interpeter on staff who can help you navigate the confusing landscape represented by your insurance policies. Rob Stamp’s the name; insurance is my game. As always, smartass comments are not intended to offend anyone, but instead to remind everyone that their agent is a real live person not afraid to say or write what most of us are thinking anyway.