I’m from Milwaukee, WI. I got hit recently by another driver who was clearly at fault. 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.

I am required to carry an sr22 and I just want to know if this will cover just myself or anyone who uses my vehicle?

Justin

Thank you for asking Justin.

Typically, car insurance follows the motor vehicle first and the driver second. There are financial liability laws in most states so the motorist should also have had car insurance or they will end up with a conviction for driving with no insurance and have their license suspended or revoked until they get an SR22 or the financial responsibility certificate.

Normally, an SR22 is only liability insurance so it will likely cover the motor vehicle struck and damaged but not the at-fault vehicle’s damages.

To be certain what your specific SR22 policy covers contact your insurance company. They will be able to give you more information on what the sr22 covers.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Hello there. I’ve noticed there have been a lot of natural disasters happening around the world–rains, floods and hurricanes. It made me wonder how prepared I am for these events. Will my auto insurance in Wisconsin cover my car if things like these happen?

Mickey

Eau Claire, WI

Yeah, it has been a weird year for weather, hasn’t it? This would be a good time to review your auto insurance coverage to make sure you’ve got everything covered. For an auto insurance company to cover the cost of damages or the replacement of your vehicle in case of a natural disaster, you must have comprehensive auto insurance. This is not usually part of the minimum insurance requirements of states like Wisconsin, so you will have to purchase this as an add-on to your auto insurance minimums. Be sure to read the fine print in your policy, so you know exactly what is and what isn’t covered. You will want to know how much, if any, will be your share of the bill. You may also want to look at gap insurance or rental insurance if having a vehicle is essential to your kind of work. If you are not already covered, I suggest you go out and get one as soon as possible. You can’t just run out to the store and ask for this kind of insurance coverage every time there’s news that bad weather will hit. With this kind of insurance there is usually a lead time of, say, 30 days before your auto insurance is in effect. So, don’t wait until the last minute.

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My car got into trouble in Minnesota, and unfortunately it was impounded. That car doesn’t have auto insurance because I seldom use it and I’m not sure what kind of penalty I would face for my violation. I live here in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the vehicle that was impounded was registered here, too. What should I do?

Alice

Green Bay, WI

Since the vehicle has crossed the boarder and was driven to and made a violation in Minnesota, the rules that you need to follow are the state laws of Minnesota. Typically, if you drive a vehicle from one state to another, it is okay as long as your vehicle is insured. However, if the vehicle is uninsured and is driven to another state, then it definitely has violated a law, and you may have to face penalties because of it.

In your area there in Wisconsin, a financial responsibility law is directed towards all drivers who are authorized to drive in Wisconsin. This law is intended to ensure that each motorist has the financial capability to pay for damages that may result from future accidents. Financial responsibility may come in the form of a surety bond, certificate of personal insurance, or a liability insurance policy.

On the other hand, under Chapter 169 of Minnesota state laws every driver must have a proof of insurance when operating a vehicle. This proof must be carried all the time to immediately prove to the law enforcer that you are insured. However, the owner of the vehicle may not be convicted unless the driver knew that the vehicle is uninsured.

So, since your vehicle is impounded in Minnesota, it would be best if you show proof of auto insurance, so that you could get back your vehicle. You may also contact the law enforcement agency that impounded your vehicle to know more about how to get the vehicle back to Wisconsin.

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I just have some questions regarding physical damage coverage. I’m from Wisconsin, and I am not exactly sure what collision coverage actually provides. Help?

Brin

Kenosha, WI

Brin, what collision coverage normally provides is the payment for whatever the damages are going to be in the event that your vehicle gets involved in a collision regardless of your vehicle hitting another object or another car or of it getting damaged in instances that it overturns. In an accident, the collision coverage is the one that shall be paying for the repair of the vehicle with the amount going as far as to equal the amount of its value before the accident took place. If you think about it, this is actually cool because the automobile insurance company shall pay for the expenses of the damage even if the party at fault in the accident is you.

Now, the maker and the model year of your car are very important because these things are going to be the basis of your collision premiums. Needless to say, before you purchase this type of coverage, it is highly recommendable that you evaluate the current market value of your vehicle and your financial capacity to afford the same car in the event that your car is destroyed because if your car has diminished its value or if it is within your capacity to replace your car with a similar one, then collision coverage is going to be useful to you.

But to be sure, you can check your state’s insurance web site because I am not sure if the same clauses apply there in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Is there a state where you will not be required to have auto insurance? What about Wisconsin? Who would be the cheapest?

Tom

Eau Claire, WI

There are some states in which car insurance is not required but you are mandated by those states laws to have a type of financial responsibility in effect to cover damages you may cause in an accident if you choose to not have car insurance on your motor vehicle.

Every state requires auto insurance or that you meet financial responsibility requirements through a bond or some other way which shows you are able to pay if you cause damages to other party or property in a auto accident. Each state renews and/or changes their laws annually, so those states that had no insurance requirements in the past now do. The state of New Hampshire probably has the least amount of requirements.

Most people believe that Wisconsin does not require car insurance, which is true but you must have other means to pay for the damages you cause if you are at fault in an accident.

The cheapest depends on your driving record, your vehicle and the area of town which you live plus the deductible amount.

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.

Do I have to pay on the spot for the ticket if I received one in the state of Wisconsin. I live from out of state.

Michelle

Thank you for asking Michelle.

While there may be areas or jurisdictions in Wisconsin that require this for certain conviction, but generally, I dont think that a motorist needs to pay a ticket on the spot to law enforcement officer in WI due to having an out of state driver’s license.

Typically in Wisconsin if you have been cited for a ticket and simply wish to pay the fine, you may send a check or money order for the amount of the fine to the address that is printed on the ticket. Usually, police officers will remind you to be sure to include your driver’s license number and the citation number on the check or money order.

You can contact the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to find out if they can advise you if there’s any area of WI that may require you to pay a traffic ticket on the spot instead of going to court or sending fine amount to the court listed on the ticket.

Goodluck!

MariCAR