car insurance claim guide

Your “Motor Vehicle" can be a truck, car, motorcycle - - you name it! If it’s powered by a motor and has one, two, three, four (or even more) wheels this “Guide" is for you.

The information below is a bare-bones “Guide" for those who have had such a motor vehicle accident. It details the basics of how one should with their property damage and/or personal injury claim.

AFTER IMPACT CHECKLIST

We heartily suggest you make a copy of this 'Impact Checklist' to be kept handy within the confines of your motor vehicle. A “Guide" to refer to so you’ll be certain, should an accident take place, that you’ve covered everything.

Other than the fact that one must obtain from the other operator, both their drivers license and motor vehicle registration information, you should also proceed to do the following:

IMMEDIATELY MAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF: Names and addresses of eye witnesses. And later the investigating police officers name and badge number. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Snow, rain, fog, mist, sleet, etc. ROAD SURFACE: Dry, wet, slippery, icy, etc.IMPACT AREA: City, suburban, business, wooded, etc. VISIBILITY: Sunny, cloudy, dusk, night, moonlight, etc. (Was the sun in the other driver’s face)? TRAFFIC CONTROLS: Were there overhead lights? Posted speed limit signs? Stop or warning signs? Hospital or school zone signs? CREATE A DIAGRAM: Driving area: Flat, crowned, straight, curved, macadam, asphalt, concrete, cobblestone, dirt, etc. Indicate the width of street. Show the location of impact, gouge and/or skid marks. CONDITION OF MOTOR VEHICLE THAT STRUCK YOU: Age and general overall condition. Is their state inspection sticker displayed and up to date? Were chains or snow tires needed? AS SOON AS POSSIBLE RETURN TO THE SCENE AND SNAP PHOTOGRAPHS: It’s most important to take pictures of: Skid or gouge mark’s on the road surface plus the damage to both vehicles. PHOTOS OF YOUR BODILY INJURIES: It's crucial to the ultimate value of your claim to snap a multitude of colored photos (up close and from different angles) of your bodily injuries - - especially all black and blue marks or bruises.

Tesco

Tesco plc is a British-based international grocery and general merchandising retail chain. It is the largest British retailer by both global sales and domestic market share with profits exceeding £3 billion. In 2008, Tesco became the world's fourth largest retailer, the first movement among the top five since 2003.[2] Currently the third largest retailer based on revenue, Tesco is second only to Wal-Mart in terms of profit, having surpassed Carrefour in 2009. Originally specialising in food and drink, it has diversified into areas such as clothing, consumer electronics, financial services, telecoms; home, health and car insurance; dental plans, retailing and renting DVDs,[3] CDs, music downloads, Internet services, and software.

Formation

jack Cohen founded Tesco in 1919 when he began to sell surplus groceries from a stall in the East End of London.[4] The Tesco brand first appeared in 1924. The name came about after Jack Cohen bought a shipment of tea from T.E. Stockwell. He made new labels using the first three letters of the supplier's name (TES), and the first two letters of his surname (CO), forming the word "TESCO".[5] The first Tesco store was opened in 1929 in Burnt Oak, Edgware, Middlesex. Tesco floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1947 as Tesco Stores (Holdings) Limited.[4] The first self service store opened in St Albans in 1951 (still operational in 2008 as a Metro),[6] and the first supermarket in Maldon in 1956.[4]

During the 1950s and the 1960s Tesco grew organically, but also through acquisitions until it owned more than 800 stores. The company purchased 70 Williamsons stores (1957), 200 Harrow Stores outlets (1959), 212 Irwins stores (1960), 97 Charles Phillips stores (1964) and the Victor Value chain (1968) (sold to Bejam in 1986).[7] Management and strategy changes Founder Jack Cohen was an enthusiastic advocate of trading stamps as an inducement for shoppers to patronise his stores. He signed up with Green Shield Stamps in 1963, and became one of the company's largest clients.[8] In 1973 Jack Cohen resigned and was replaced as Chairman by his son-in-law Leslie Porter. Porter and managing director Ian MacLaurin abandoned the "pile it high sell it cheap" philosophy of Cohen which had left the company "stagnating" and with a "bad image".[9] In 1977 Tesco launched "Operation Checkout" with the abandonment of Green Shield stamps, price reductions and centralised buying for all stores. The result was a rise in market share of 4% in two months.[9]

Geico

The Government Employees Insurance Company, usually known by the acronym GEICO, is an American auto insurance company. GEICO is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway and, as of 2007, provided coverage for more than 10 million motor cars, trucks and other motor vehicles owned by more than 9 million policy holders. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance in the District of Columbia and in all U.S. states except Massachusetts. The company is notable for its television advertising, with several prominent campaigns running simultaneously in national markets. Its mascot is a gecko that originally had an American accent but for marketing reasons Geico changed it to a Cockney accent.

GEICO was founded in 1936 by Leo Goodwin and his wife Lillian Goodwin to provide auto insurance directly to federal government employees and their families [2]. GEICO's original business model was predicated on the assumption that federal employees as a group would constitute a less risky and more financially stable pool of insureds, as opposed to the general public. Despite the presence of the word "government" in its name, GEICO has always been a private corporation and not a government agency.

A dominant figure in GEICO’s history is David Lloyd Kr

An accomplished amateur violinist, Kreeger was internationally known as a collector of Impressionist and modern painting and sculpture. He was president and chairman of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington for almost 20 years. Today, he is perhaps best known for the Kreeger Museum, a mansion on Foxhall Road in Washington, DC, in which he and his wife, Carmen, also a patron of the arts, lived since 1968. It was designed by the architect Philip Johnson as a showcase for the Kreeger collection.

In the 1970s, under Kreeger's leadership, GEICO began to insure the general public, after real-time access to computerized driving records became available throughout the United States. In 1996, GEICO became a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. GEICO generally deals directly with consumers via the telephone and the Internet, freeing up capital that would otherwise be spent on employing insurance agents in the field. As a result, the company is now the 3rd largest direct writer of private auto insurance in the United States.[3] Today, GEICO does market their products through a small number of field agents, most of whom are based near military bases;[citation needed] more recently, GEICO has begun opening offices in locations other than near military bases. These agents are known as GFRs (GEICO Field Representatives).eeger (1919-1990), who became president of the company in 1964 and helped to steer it into a major insurance enterprise.[citation needed] As noted in his New York Times obituary November 20, 1990, Kreeger was the son of Jewish immigrants from Russia. He was graduated with high honors from Rutgers and from Harvard Law School, where he was editor of the Law Review. Kreeger joined the Department of Agriculture as a lawyer early in FDR’s presidency; he later worked in the Department of the Interior. He then worked for the Justice Department. In 1948, he formed a group of investors who bought into GEICO. He became senior vice president and general counsel of the company. Six years after becoming president of GEICO in 1964, he was named chairman and chief executive officer. He retained those titles until he retired in 1974. He continued as chairman of the executive committee until 1979, when he was named honorary chairman.

Compute Car Insurance Deductible Needs

Car insurance in its infinite complexity can confuse you to the point where you're not sure what the best coverage is for you and what type of deductible is right for your situation. Car insurance deductibles are usually the least of the confusion. These steps will help you decide how much deductible is good for you.

1. Determine the amount of deductible you want. Deductibles start at $100 and go up. Remember that when your car is damaged either from an accident, parking or vandalism, you have to pay the deductible amount while your insurance company picks up the rest. For example, if you had $1,000 worth of damage to your car and you had $250 deductible, you would have to pay $250 then your insurance company would pay $750.

2. Step 2

   Select a higher deductible but one that you can afford. Many insurance companies suggest a higher deductible, which makes for cheaper premiums. In most cases premiums are reduced by 10 to 20 percent.

3. Step 3

   Calculate the best deductible for you by using this simple approach. Determine what is the amount of cash you have available through a savings account, what amount of credit you have available, how much money you have left over after you pay the bills and what the current cash value of your car is. If you answer any or all of these questions $500 and under you should choose a lower deductible. If you have any or all of the amounts on the high side, then you can afford a higher deductible.

4. Step 4

   Get several quotes with various amounts, and see which one works best for you.

5. Step 5

   Calculate the deductible you can afford by going to insurance companies that will assist you in determining the deductible. Some ask a series of questions and allow you to ask questions. You can talk with an insurance agent who specializes in auto insurance, but be careful because some of them will charge you for a quote--especially if you do not choose their insurance company.

Save on Car Insurance

1. Comparison shop: Most people are aware that the insurance industry is highly regulated. However, few are aware that each company determines it's own policy rates based on their own unique set of crtieria (in most states). The result is insurance prices for the same coverage that can vary by $100s, sometimes over $1000 from company to company.

The best place to comparison shop is online, as it is far less time consuming than calling from agent to agent for quotes. There are Internet sites that will provide you with several comparison rates from highly rated insurance companies. The two best sources I have found are Progressive and Consumers Car Club.

2. Raise deductibles: deductibles are the amount of money you are paying from your own pocket before the insurance company starts paying. For e.g. if you have a deductible of $200 menas that you pay the first $200 from your own pocket, and after $200 the insurance company pays the rest.

Requesting higher deductibles on collision and comprehensive coverage can lower your insurance costs substantially. Raising your deductible from $200 to $500 could result in a reduction in these premiums by 15% to 30%.

The reason why should you request this: most drivers will go years between claims and the savings realized in the first 12 months will cover the difference in out of pocket between a $200 and $500 decuctible.

3.Reduce coverage on older cars: Vehicles lose value rapidly as they age. After vehicles reach a certain value point it will not be cost effective to carry collision or comprehensive coverage policies on them. You don't want to pay expensive insurance for a low value car, do you?

4.Take advantage of discounts : There are several discounts that insurance companies offer provided you meet certain requirements. Never assume that you are receiving these discounts. Determine which ones you feel apply to you and then contact your agent to determine if you qualify and always ask for the discounts. Common discounts:

More than 1 car on the same policy
No accidents in 3 years
No moving violations in 3 Years
Drivers over 50 years of age
Successful completion of a driver training course
Anti theft device(s)
Low annual mileage driven
Vehicle equipped with automatic seat belt(s) Vehicle equipped with air bag(s)
Vehicle equipped with anti-lock brakes
Good student (driving teens with B average or better)
Auto and homeowners coverage with the same company
College students living away from home without a car
Not all companies offer all of these discounts, if your does not, it is likely you will be able to save by comparison shopping.

5. Buy the "right" car: Some cars are much more expensive to repair than others and thieves tend to tagret some vehicles much more than others. These are significant factors in the cost to insure a vehicle. I do not believe that an auto insurance policy should determine your quality of life, but be aware of these factors. As a sidenote, if I recall correctly the #1 car on the stolen car list is the Honda Accord.

6.Live in the right place: Where you live is a major factor in the cost to insure a vehicle. Costs tend to be lowest in rural communities and highest in large metropolitan areas. I don't believe that auto insurance should be the determining factor in where you choose to live, but you should be aware of the potential added costs to insure your vehicles prior to making a move.

car insurance in America

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In America car insurance is insures not the car, but the driver. In other words, if you have car insurance, and your wife doesn't if she makes an accident she (you) will have to pay for the damage. So the insurance coverage is related to persons. Basic auto insurance policies are made up of a combination of the six types of coverage: 1. Collision: Covers the physical damage done to your vehicle as the result of an accident. This covers your property in accidents in which you are at fault, like a single car accident or collision with a stationary object. 2.Comprehensive: This covers repairs or replacement of your vehicle from damage caused by "non collision events", such as damages resulting from fire, theft, vandalism, and most acts of God. 3.Liability - Bodily injury: This covers injury or death caused by a vehicle driven by you or someone covered as a driver under your policy. This coverage pays for both the claim against you and the cost of your legal defense. If you are found to be liable for a higher amount than the policy you bought, you will have to pay the difference. In such a litigious society, it seems sensible to purchase the highest level of coverage that you can get your hands on. 4.Liability - Property damage: This covers damage caused to another persons vehicle or property. This is not limited to damage done to anothers vehicle. If you drive through someones yard and demolish their garden shed, it would be covered by Property Damage Liability, up to the limit of your liability. 5.Medical payments or Personal Injury Protection (PIP): Covers you, the members of your household and your passengers for medical expenses resulting from an automobile accident, regardless of who is at fault. Usually limited to $5,000 - $10,000 in most policies. 6.Uninsured motorist: Bodily injury: Protects you and occupants of a covered vehicle in an accident in which the owner or operator of a motor vehicle who is legally liable does not have insurance. Property damage: This coverage pays you for damage to your covered vehicle in an accident in which the operator of a motor vehicle who is legally liable does not have insurance.

Auto Coverage is Necessary

One of the most common questions asked by consumers looking to choose auto insurance coverage is how much coverage should I purchase. While every individual is different, there are a few factors that most consumers should consider. It is important to note that most states require all vehicles that use public roadways to be insured. Each state usually has basic requirements for auto insurance, such as having liability insurance in case you damage someone else’s property or injured someone with your vehicle. Adding extra liability coverage should be considered if your state limit is very low. Usually 100K bodily injury with a total of 300K for an entire collision at minimum is advised. If you have assets worth over 300K, you can choose to purchase more insurance to protect you from personal financial loss. If you lease or have a loan out on a vehicle, you will likely need additional insurance as well. For instance, vehicles on a lease or that have a lien require the owner to not only have the basic state required coverage but also have collision coverage and in some cases comprehensive coverage to protect against financial loss on the vehicle. This way if the car is damaged or totaled, the vehicle will be covered and the bank or lien holder will not have to worry about a loss. It is also important to consider the different types of collision and comprehensive insurances policies available. For instance, some policies don’t guard against floods, hail or hurricanes. If you live in an area that is prone to these events, you should look into purchasing a policy with these types of added coverage. If you have expensive audio or visual equipment in your vehicle such as GPS, sound system or multi media system, you should make sure that these assets are covered, and if not look into purchasing extra insurance for these assets. Deductibles are another thing to consider when choosing how much coverage is necessary. For instance, deductibles can vary, usually from zero deductible, $250, $500, $1k, etc. A deductible is the amount that you are responsible before your auto insurance covers you from loss. For instance, if you have $400 in damage to your vehicle from a collision, but have a $500 deductible collision policy, you will be responsible for all damages. If you have a $250 deducible, you would be responsible for the first $250 and the insurance company would pick up the remaining $150. Usually the lower the amount of deductible you have, the more expensive the policy can cost. However, for someone that might not have $500 or $1K on hand for damages, a lower deductible might be an attractive option. Connie Barker is the owner of several financial websites including those that deal with Auto Insurance Article.