Reader’s Question:

My son was in an accident while driving my car in Minnesota. The other driver was declared to be at fault. We are from Wisconsin, and he only went there to visit an aunt. Will my car insurance policy still cover for his medical bills since Minnesota is a no-fault state and the accident happened there?

Jennifer

Milwaukee, WI

Normally when driving out of your licensing state, in this case Wisconsin, your car insurance can be expected to follow the laws of the state in which you happen to be driving in. Minnesota happens to be a no-fault state. This simply means that those involved in an accident make their claims through their own car insurance, specifically the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) policy.

If your son doesn’t have his own car insurance, you, the car owner, will have to carry the burden through your own car insurance. Following the Minnesota PIP, you son is entitled to coverage of medical costs, replacement, wage loss, and even funeral expenses up to two thousand dollars. The minimum coverage amount is forty thousand dollars. Broken down, that’s twenty thousand dollars for medical expenses and the other twenty thousand for non-medical expenses. If things happen to cost more than this PIP limit, you or your son can claim against the other motorist’s liability coverage since he or she has been declared liable.

If you need more information and advice regarding claims for out-of-state accidents, don’t hesitate to contact the Minnesota Department of Commerce, which is the agency that regulates insurance in that state. Alternatively, you can get in touch with the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, the insurance regulator for your state.’

Tags: auto insurance claims, auto insurance coverage, no-fault

Reader’s Question:

What is Wisconsin’s mandatory automotive insurance coverage?

Gary

Milwaukee, WI

Wisconsin’s financial responsibility law is intended to make sure that all licensed drivers in Wisconsin are liable for the damages that may arise from getting into an accident to which they are found to be at fault. This financial responsibility may come in the form of a vehicle liability insurance policy, certificate of self-insurance, surety/guarantee bond, or personal funds.

If you decide to satisfy the required financial responsibility by getting a vehicle liability insurance policy, you have to abide by the state-mandated minimum coverage requirements. Your policy must be able to cover 25 thousand dollars for the injuries or death of one person, 50 thousand dollars for the injuries or death of two or more persons for a single incident, and 10 thousand dollars for property damage and vehicle repair. The policy must also have uninsured motorist coverage worth 25 thousand dollars/50 thousand dollars to cover bodily injuries only.

If you feel the need to protect your assets, you may opt to get coverage that is beyond the required minimum set by the state. Your additional coverage will depend on your needs; therefore make sure that you get the appropriate policy for you. You may also check for deductibles that are applicable to your policy. Deductibles are additional payments that you make to pay for the damages. Your payment plus the payment made by the insurance company compose the total amount for a certain portion of the claim. To better understand this add-on and your other options, try seeking advice from different insurance agents.

Tags: auto insurance coverage, car insurance agent, car insurance law, deductible, liability insurance

Reader’s Question:

Hi there, I just moved to Wisconsin and I hear that the minimum insurance required to drive a vehicle here is different. Can anyone tell me the minimum insurance I need?

Elle

Milwaukee, WI

Hi, Elle. You’re right. Wisconsin does have a different car insurance policy than other states in the US. You see, most US states will only require certain amounts of bodily injury and property damage liability insurance. However, in Wisconsin, the state requires liability insurance and uninsured motorist insurance as well.

Here are the amounts that you will need for each type of insurance: a minimum $25,000 per person and maximum $50,000 per accident of bodily injury liability insurance plus $10,000 for property damage. For uninsured motorist coverage, you will also need the minimum $25,000 with a maximum $50,000 per accident insurance coverage. The bodily injury insurance will cover injury of other people in an accident up to the amount as specified in your coverage. The property damage insurance will pay for any damages to other people’s property in case of a crash. The Uninsured motorist insurance will keep you covered for accidents caused by the negligence of an uninsured driver or a hit and run driver.

Failure to have the required amounts of insurance required in Wisconsin can result in fines, suspension of licenses and impounding of your vehicle. So please make sure that you have enough car insurance coverage and that you keep proof of your insurance coverage in your vehicle at all times.

Tags: auto insurance coverage, auto insurance policy, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

What do I need to do to remove my SR22 on my car insurance policy in Madison Wisconsin?

Leo

Madison WI

Generally if it is time for you to remove your SR22 and you were informed by the state that you can remove your SR22 already all you need to do is inform your auto insurance provider.

To be sure, you may contact the department of motor vehicle and ask them if it is okay to remove your SR22 before you tell your car insurance company to remove your SR22.. Usually car insurance provider will ask for documentation from the department of motor vehicle showing that it is okay to remove the SR22 financial responsibility on your

In some states insurance providers will send the state an a form when you cancel your SR-22 coverage on your policy. This form is called an SR26.

If you are taking off your SR-22 insurance and would to shop around for car insurance coverage you may start here obtaining car insurance quotes in Madison Wisconsin on the space provided for the zip code in this website.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance quotes, sr22 insurance

Reader’s Question:

I am just wondering if there are insurance provider in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that will insure delivery drivers like me?

Bennett

Milwaukee, WI

If you have an employer and you are not an independent contractor verify with your employer to know if the insurer in Milwaukee will provide you coverage while you are engaged in that employer’s job.

Business or commercial driving rates, newspaper carriers, delivery services and real estate agents fall into this same category, are higher than those in standard personal auto policy policies.

Since most personal car policies will exclude coverage for the car while it is being used for business purposes you will likely have to get a commercial or business use policy for your car since you will be delivery property for money.

Tags: Business Auto Insurance, commercial insurance

Reader’s Question:

I’m from Milwaukee, WI. I got hit recently by another driver who was clearly at fault Milwaukee. He offered me to pay in cash for the damages rather than make a claim on his car insurance; is that okay?

Karen

Milwaukee, WI

It’s a bad idea to accept cash if you’re injured or if you even have a hint of being injured. Your PIP coverage should pay for your medical expenses and any lost wages that you may incur if you’re injured. Once your PIP is consumed, your health insurance will kick in and pay for the rest of your expenses. You can sue the at-fault driver to pay for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and any lost wages as a result of the crash if you do not have PIP or health insurance.

On the other hand, never take money on the spot if you choose to accept the other driver’s cash offer for the physical damage to your car. Be sure to know exactly how much it will cost to repair your vehicle. You could end up paying for a portion of the repairs yourself if you don’t get an accurate estimate, Say for example, the other driver offers you $1,000 to pay for damages and you later receive an estimate showing that the total cost is $1,500 to repair your car, you may have to kick in $500 of your own pocket.

It is also important for you to carefully examine any documents you may be required to sign that absolve the other driver of any further liability. If the at-fault’s party has consulted an attorney, it is likely that the attorney has drafted a document that will take away your right to sue later. If you are in doubt about signing the document, consult an attorney. Hiring a lawyer is an unavoidable expense that you’ll have to pay for. Always check your policy language for details so it’s advised to contact your Milwaukee, WI insurance agent to have a statute of limitations for reporting accidents.

Tags: auto insurance

Reader’s Question:

I have been thinking of enlisting my teenager in our auto insurance policy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. How costly can this be? What do I need to know?

Peter

Milwaukee, WI

Hello there, Peter!

I have to tell you in advance that adding your teenager to your insurance policy can really throw you for a loop. When you find out the cost of it insuring your teenage driver, you might be surprised.

Even if it can cost you a few dollars more, it is important however that you list your teenage driver on your insurance policy. This is because if you fail to list your teenager on your vehicle you could face having your policy canceled or not renewed and possible surcharges on your policy too. There could be some insurance companies can and will cancel your insurance policy for misrepresentation if you don’t list your teenager on your own auto insurance policy.

So if and when your teenager regularly drives your vehicle or any vehicle in your home, you better list in your own policy as one of the drivers. This ensures that your vehicle is covered by your insurance in the event that there is an incident while he or she is driving any of your cars. Next, this could also mean that your teenager will gain some valuable insurance experience in the process which will translate to some savings for your teenager when he or she gets their own vehicle and insurance.

So you can contact your local auto insurance agent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and ask for procedures you can do to enlist your teenager in your auto insurance policy.

Reader’s Question:

How long do I have to carry SR22 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin?

John

Milwaukee, WI

You may contact the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) to verify for sure about your particular situation but normally in WI you will need to get and maintain a SR22 for three years.

According to the Wisconsin DOT, for the SR-22 proof of insurance, it must be filed for three years from the reinstatement eligibility date, or for 3 years from the court entry date of a damage judgment that was effective before September 1, 2000.In addition to that, this states also noted that if at any time during the three-year filing period, an individual wishes to stop filing insurance, and discontinue driving in Wisconsin, they can avoid paying the reinstatement fee in the future by surrendering their driver license to the Wisconsin DOT while the insurance is still in force.

Proof of financial responsibility in Wisconsin is certifying that you have liability insurance in the amounts of at least $25,000 up to $50,000 for personal injury or death per accident and $10,000 for property damage per accident (25/50/10).

Reader’s Question:

Is there any database available in Wisconsin to verify what car insurance company a person has? It think that there should be some way to check out if an uncooperative at-fault driver has car insurance.

Marie

Milwaukee, WI

It is likely that the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will be able to assist you track down the at-fault person’s insurance company, if he has one. The WI Department of Motor Vehicle checks for insurance coverage on all motorists listed on an accident report. So hopefully you called the law enforcement officer to your accident scene to take a report.

If the Wisconsin DMV finds that a driver involved in an accident is uninsured, the other parties involved in the accident are informed. Those who are injured or have property damage can report their damages or injuries to the DMV. The Wisconsin safety responsibility law helps protect those who suffer damages in accidents caused by uninsured drivers by first taking away their vehicle registration and drivers license if the uninsured driver is at-fault and did not pay for the damages they caused.

So either way, if the at-fault party did or did not have car insurance at the time of the accident the DMV should be able to assist you so that your damages can be taken care of by the individual who caused the accident.

Q: If I want to save money on my Milwaukee SR22 comprehensive car insurance coverage, how can I do that?

A: First of all, since Milwaukee SR22 car insurance is so expensive, it’s only advisable to have comprehensive coverage if you’re still paying for your car, or if your car has a lot of value (at least one thousand, but sometimes more).

As for saving money on your Milwaukee SR22 car insurance premium, the best way to do that is for you to protect your vehicle as well as you possibly can. Do this by getting it set up with anti theft devices beyond the usual. Instead of just having an alarm that makes noise, get a device which will disable your vehicle whenever a thief tries to start it up. This could be a wheel lock, or something that goes straight to the engine and disables that.

In addiion to that, make sure the device you get turns on by itself rather than needing you to activate it every time you get out of he car. You’ll usually get a discount on your Milwaukee SR22 insurance premium if you have an anti theft device which is both passive (meaning you don’t have to activate it, it activates itself) and disabling. Some car insurance companies won’t even give you comprehensive if you don’t have this kind of anti theft device.