I don’t have my own car insurance before because I was under my mom’s policy here in Houston. Now that I have to get insurance for myself, I need to know the types of coverage I can get. What are the options that I have when it comes to getting car insurance?

Sergio

Houston, TX

Getting car insurance in Houston would give you protection from financial loss for paying any damages that may be incurred in an accident. There is a wide selection of car insurance coverage and deductible options available for you. There are three main types of car insurance coverage and it would be helpful that you understand how they are different from one another.

Liability Coverage
Almost all states require motorists to carry a minimum level of liability coverage. The necessary amount differs as per state laws where you reside so you have to get in touch with your insurance company to find out about it. This kind of coverage would provide coverage for any damages you cause to other people and properties.

Collision Coverage
This kind of coverage would pay for the damages to your automobile caused by another automobile or property.

Comprehensive Coverage
This type of insurance coverage would pay for the damages to your automobile that are caused by vandalism or theft. Also, damages caused by natural disasters such as fire, storm and tornadoes are covered by this type of insurance coverage.

Aside from the three main types of insurance coverage, there are other types of coverage that you can get for your car insurance in Houston. These are uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, emergency road service and car rental coverage.

My husband keeps on asking me to search the net since we moved here in Houston, Texas. He keeps on asking me about car insurance here in Texas since I grew up here, but I myself don’t know much. What are the different types of car insurance coverage here in Texas and how do they work?

Vanessa

Amarillo, TX

Car insurance companies here in Houston, Texas use the Texas Automobile Policy which is a regulated policy form that offers different types of coverage. The Texas Department of Insurance approves other companies’ alternative policies in advance before they sell it. Since there are many choices, you should read the policy carefully for different coverage may differ in policy and company.

A coverage you should take from the Texas Personal Automobile Policy is the Liability Coverage, where it pays the damages, repair, medical expenses that resulted from the accident. This could also pay for your lawyer if you get sued because of the accident. Another is Medical Payments Coverage whereas it pays the medical expenses of the person whether a pedestrian or bicyclist and it also covers you and your family whoever caused it. The Personal Injury Protection which has the same medical coverage but it also includes the loss of income and payment for the caregiver needed by the injured. Uninsured or underinsured motorist Coverage pays for the damage from a driver who doesn’t have insurance or doesn’t have enough coverage. Collision damage which pays for the replacement or repair of your car after the accident. Comprehensive Coverage replaces or repairs your car at any causes it had been damaged. Choose the right coverage properly that is applicable here in Texas.

It’s my first time to buy car insurance of my own here in Houston, Texas and I need some help to get lower rates. What are the things that I can do to help me lessen the premiums that I would pay for my car insurance?

Lance

Houston, TX

A car insurance company considers a lot of issues to determine your car insurance rates in Houston, Texas. Some of these factors include your age, the state where you reside, your driving history, etc. Even though you couldn’t do so much on these things, that are still some ways to get lower rates on your car insurance. Here are some suggestions of the things that you could do to help you lessen your premiums:

–Get higher deductible.
–Do away with non-compulsory coverage such as rental car insurance, towing and labor, etc.
–Get rid of comprehensive and collision coverage if you have an older vehicle which is worth less than $1,000, especially if you can manage to pay for repairs if needed.
–Make sure that you could get all the discounts that you are entitled to such as discounts for safety features on your vehicle.
–Maintain an unblemished driving history to avoid being in the higher risk category of drivers.
–Keep away from purchasing a car that is more likely to be stolen or would cost too much to repair.
–Always keep in mind that it is very important to shop around for your car insurance coverage. Car insurance rates for the same coverage on the same vehicle could vary greatly among various insurance companies.

I was good enough to get my license here in Houston, Texas suspended and that kind of snow-balled into my car insurance getting canceled as well, what I’m wondering about is I’m told that I will need to maintain an SR-22 form, what is it?

Carla

Houston, TX

An SR-22 is a type of form guaranteeing the state of Texas that you are carrying adequate financial capability (in the form of car insurance coverage) in the event that you cause injury or damage to property resulting from a car accident. This is mandated by the financial responsibility laws of your state and yes, repeat traffic offenders or those at-fault on a vehicular accident will be required to maintain an SR-22 for at least two or three years.

Since your auto insurance got canceled you will need to find another insurance provider there in Houston that will file this form for you, and submit it to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). There may be some administrative fees involved aside from any penalties you may be required to pay to get your license (or a temporary license) back so you can drive again. A good auto insurance agent will be able to give you all the information you need and whatever steps you need to do to file an SR-22 quickly and hassle-free.

It is very important that you maintain continues coverage for the duration of your SR-22. Getting involved in another car accident or managing to get your driver’s license (and much worse, getting caught driving without insurance coverage or while your license is suspended) revoked will only result into significantly heavier fines and penalties and much higher insurance rates.

Hi, a friend recently got involved in a car crash here in Houston, Texas and although no one got hurt, the other party involved decided to file a lawsuit a month later claiming trauma. Which part of someone’s auto insurance protects you from these?

Gabriel

Houston, TX

Hello Gabriel. Getting sued for negligence and causing a car accident is a lot of people’s worst nightmare. Even if no one got hurt during the accident the trauma of the experience may set in much later and, combined with the litigious nature of our society, anyone who may have been involved in a car crash can choose to file a law suit against you. This is where the liability protection or coverage clause of your insurance policy comes in. Here’s a few recommendations on how to make sure your auto insurance protects you from paying a colossal (we really mean colossal) amount of money if you are at fault in a car accident.

Make sure you have adequate Liability insurance. For Houston, Texas then minimum liability insurance coverage amounts required by your state is 20/40/15. That means in the event you injure someone in a car crash, your insurance will award $20,000 worth of damages to each person injured up to a maximum of $40,000 for all injured people per accident. You will also have $15,000 to cover for property damages. That may sound a lot already but reality is, you can be sued for more than those minimum amounts and anything beyond your liability coverage you’ll have to pay yourself. It is highly recommended that you get as high of a liability coverage as you can comfortably afford.

Why would Car insurance companies refuse to offer me insurance coverage? I live here in Houston, Texas and I’m surprised that I had a hard time getting car insurance!

Monty

Houston, TX

There are many reasons why car insurance companies may choose to deny you coverage which is a very difficult predicament seeing as the financial responsibility laws there in Houston, Texas (and most other states) would require you to have some level of car insurance coverage when on the road.

Here’s some of the reasons why an auto insurance provider might refuse you coverage:

1. Your city or location has very high crime-rate involving car theft and vehicle vandalism.
2. Your driving record is less than stellar and you may have even been caught or convicted Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or have other charges resulting from moving violations.
3. Your credit rating is really bad. As in really, really bad.
4. You’ve filed too many claims with your previous car insurance company.
5. You lack driving experience or you haven’t had any other kind of insurance in your life before.

So what if you’ve said yes to most of the items listed above? How can you get the car insurance you need? To good news is that there are still car insurance providers out there that are willing to cover you, for a higher price of course. You just have to look for them. You could also participate in the state assigned risk pool. This is a collection of insurance providers who have agreed to provide you coverage regardless of your record but expect higher premiums.

I just moved here in Houston, Texas a few months back and I remembered being apprehended for DWI two years back when I was in Austin and now, I would be getting a new car insurance. Would my previous DUI record affect the cost of car insurance that I plan to get?

Mary

Houston, TX

Probably one major thing to ask is that, were you convicted or acquitted for DUI? This needs to be confirmed because if you have been convicted, this record will remain under your name for a long period of time even if you move to a different city. Houston, Texas has stricter DUI laws and this would definitely affect the kind of premiums you can get from insurance companies depending on the gravity of the offense you have committed.

Many people may have access to your DUI records, even for a long period of time after your conviction. Insurance companies may try to avoid people with prior DUI records.

Even employment opportunities may also suffer because of this. DUI help in the form a legal professional is really important in dealing with such case. Lawyers or attorneys may be able to help you after a DUI conviction. Especially that there are stricter DWI laws here in Houston, Texas, DUI attorneys can help you expunge your DUI records. With conviction of DUI on your record, or even if you do not declare it on agreements and application forms, insurance companies still have access to such information and thus will give you higher premium options or refuse application as a worst case scenario. I was able to find an interesting deal in terms of auto insurance for people who are previously apprehended for DUI like me on this website.