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.’

I was caught driving without insurance and was required to obtain an SR22 in Wisconsin. What do I do? Where can I get the cheapest SR22?

Gian

Appleton, WI

As you probably know, driving without insurance is liable to be punished by law in Wisconsin. If you get suspended on this violation, you need to secure yourself of another type of insurance called as SR22 Wisconsin. An SR22 is needed to lift your suspended license and reinstate your driving privileges in Wisconsin.

Even though it is in the law, we are never obliged to spend a lot just for an SR22 alone. There are several ways to obtain a low cost SR22 Wisconsin. In order for us to save from our premiums, we must take the opportunity to shop around for the cheapest SR22 deal that fits our budget.

Insurance rates differ from one insurance company to another. An insurance company may only offer their cheapest deal if you meet their expectations to qualify. Therefore looking for the cheapest insurance policy seems not to be the case then. A cheaper insurance policy would all depend on the qualifications and needs of the motorist.

Insurance companies are typically competing against each other with their insurance deals. This is a good opportunity for us consumers to take advantage of their rates. However, we must still be careful with the cheap SR22 packages that they are offering if they really contain the coverage that we are really need.

Be a wise consumer by checking carefully not only with the price but as well as with the policies written on your coverage. It might be a cheap coverage but their limit might be too low. Like for an example, instead of gaining extra savings on your premium, you might end up paying more because you have already exceeded beyond the coverage limit.

Will my car insurance rates in West Allis, WI change if I buy a new car here?

Jessica

West Allis, WI

In most cities, like West Allis, WI, Jessica, yes, your car insurance rates may change if you buy a new car. Insurance companies price their rates based on many factors, including the type of automobile you drive. However, that does not necessarily mean that your rates will go up. Like for example, if you purchase a new vehicle with a lot better safety features on it, your rates could actually go lower.

Basically, the price of your policy is affected by the amount of insurance you buy. If you purchase a new car through bank financing, most likely, you will be required to carry a certain amount of comprehensive, collision and liability insurance which would mean that you’ll be paying higher premiums.

If you are going to purchase a car directly, you might get an opportunity to decrease those levels so you can save money on your premiums. Most states are obligated by law to have minimum coverage requirements, but if your car is bank financed, it is almost certain that you will be required to carry coverage well over those amounts.

One bit of advice, just make sure that you know the minimum coverage levels in West Allis, WI. But you don’t have to choose those levels right away. Think it over for a while so you can analyze what levels you are comfortable with and then get quotes for each of those different levels. Choosing a higher level may only mean paying a few extra dollars but it will provide you with some peace of mind knowing that you are covered if any incident should occur. When buying a new car, always remember to look around for the best insurance deals possible especially if your planning on financing your car through a bank.

How long does a speeding ticket remain on your record for insurance carriers? Was it three years? What is the current auto insurance rate in Wisconsin?

James

Green Bay, WI

Normally insurance carriers have a look back period to rate on an offense conviction for three, five or seven years. Since your speeding ticket would be on your driving record for five years then an insurance carrier could rate you on this violation for that time period or for a lesser time period.

Since insurance carriers look back period and rating systems differ so you will need to contact your insurance provider to check how long they will rate you on the speeding ticket.Your insurance agent in Green Bay, Wisconsin should be able to inform you about your insurance carrier’s rating system and/or you can contact the Wisconsin insurance regulator with whom surcharge and rates information must be filed with.

Rates vary from person to person, zip code to zip code I can only suggest you get a quote and find your rates.

Someone told me that in the state of Wisconsin the car insurance carriers were only permitted to look back 3 years on your driving record. Is this true? I live in Wisconsin.

Neve

Kenosha, WI

I am not aware that insurance companies can only look at your driving record for three years in Wisconsin. Auto insurance carriers generally can go back 3, 5 or 7 years to look at a person’s driving record.

Most minor moving violations stay on your record for three years while major traffic violations can remain on your record for seven years or more. Many insurance providers will look 3 years back on a driver’s record for minor infractions but will look back for major offenses, i.e. DUI, for a longer period of time, such as 7 years.

On applications for car insurance many carriers will request information on previous accidents and moving violations and indicate how long proceeding the application date they will want you to list. If they request more than 3 years back, then you will need to list the moving violation and/or accident that happened during the time frame they requested information on.

What are the various factors that can affect my application for a cheap car insurance policy here in Wisconsin? Thank you!

Eric

Green Bay, WI

There are a lot of things that car insurers look into when determining the car insurance premiums for their policy holders. Essentially, these things can be classified according to the driver’s personal background, driving history, and the vehicle’s make and model.

A cheap insurance company Wisconsin will give discounts to a driver who can prove that he is defensive when on the road. If you can give a driving history with minimal traffic violations, then you stand a good chance of getting cheap car insurance. The same goes if you can give a certification from a defensive driving school vouching that you have taken defensive driving courses.

You are entitled to discounts from a cheap insurance company Wisconsin if you can prove that you have good health. If you are free from certain conditions like blurred vision or impaired hearing, then you can get cheap car insurance premiums.

Likewise, your vehicle has an effect on your application for cheap car insurance. A cheap insurance company Wisconsin gives discounts to vehicle owners who have cars with small engines like Honda Jazz, because there is decreased probability that this type of car will be involved in any traffic accident.

If the estimate to repair a car is more than the automobile is worth, will car insurance pay the additional cost to repair? I live in Appleton, Wisconsin. What is the actual insurance requirement?

Carol

Appleton, WI

Normally an Appleton, Wisconsin insurance carrier will not pay more than a vehicle is worth to repair it. As a matter of fact, many times if the cost to repair the vehicle is anywhere from 75 -100% of the value of the car an insurance provider will not pay for repairs but instead total out the car and pay the policyholder actual cash value (ACV) for the automobile.

When a vehicle’s damage reach, and especially they exceed, the value of the vehicle it is not economical for an insurance carrier to repair the vehicle instead of settlement with the owner for the actual cash value or fair market value of the automobile. Repairs, towing, storage costs, rental reimbursement costs are all taken into consideration by an insurance carrier when determining if a vehicle should be totaled out or not.

If the cost of damages is nearly the actual cash value of the vehicle and there are other expenses such as towing and storage of the car that are also costly then many times the vehicle will be declared a total loss even if the damages alone are not as costly as the the value of the vehicle but with the extras it makes more economical sense to total out the car and sell it for salvage.

What car insurance premium should I expect if I have my “rebuilt” car insured here in Wisconsin?

Philip

Green Bay, WI

Typically, a “rebuilt” title is given to a vehicle that has been damaged and repaired after having been considered a “total loss” by the car insurance company. A vehicle may be considered as a “total loss” if it has been decided that the cost to repair the damage is higher than its “actual cash value.” Normally, the cost of repair falls between 51% to around 80% of the car’s actual cash value (the car insurance company decides on what percentage the repair cost should fall under in order to consider the vehicle a “total loss”). If the car is totaled, it is given a salvage title. However, if the car is repaired and is proven to be ready for the road, it is given a rebuilt title.

In reality, it is difficult to obtain an insurance for a rebuilt vehicle. This is because most automotive insurance companies consider “rebuilt” vehicles as “bad risks” with higher probabilities of getting into an accident again. In case an insurance company agrees on getting your vehicle insured, you may expect that company to give you only a specific amount, something less than the premium that you could actually get if you insure a vehicle that is not titled “rebuilt.” In that case, it is up to you if you want to get that policy or not. Try going for an insurance shopping there in Green Bay, WI, so you could choose which among the companies you’ve consulted with could give you the best insurance rates for your car. Or you could go online and check out it out.

If I want to find an insurance provider in Wisconsin online to check their background how would I go about getting information on that company?  I am looking for a Wisconsin auto insurance company that will treat me fairly.

Ray

Green Bay, WI

To get the background on an insurance carrier in Wisconsin, the first thing you may want to do is to look at the company’s own website. Most insurance companies have an “about us” section that provides information on their history, noteworthy accomplishments, and mission.

Of course since any Wisconsin carrier will want to shed themselves in a good light you should also look with other carriers that are not affiliated with them to have more reliable information on that carrier. Word of mouth is good as well, if family or friends have used them and can give you feedback. There are companies which provide an objective look into businesses.

When looking for car insurance carriers in Wisconsin do not forget to go to a great state source of knowledge, which is your state’s insurance regulator. Most states’ insurance regulatory agencies publish consumer complaint ratios for the insurance providers licensed to do business in the state. These ratios can inform you how many complaints a car insurance company has received per 1,000 claims filed.

I live in IL. I got a traffic violation in Wisconsin and I just want to know if the points will be assigned back to Illinois. I think I need a better Wisconsin auto insurance plan, any ideas?

Iris

Thank you for asking Iris.

Wisconsin is not a member of the Drivers License Compact, which requires member states to report traffic violation convictions. Although WI is not part of the DLC , they can still exchange ticket information with the home state of an out if state driver convicted in WI. So once you have been cited of the traffic infraction you were ticketed for in the Wisconsin courts, the violation will be forwarded to Illinois.

Out of state tickets being placed on your driving record, is not specifically mentioned in the IL Secretary of State site. But the Illinois Administrative Code Motor Vehicle gives information on the list of Illinois offense. All out-of-state moving violations are to be considered as Illinois violation as well.

From the Illinois Administrative Motor Vehicle Code information, it seems that out of state moving infractions will be placed to your Illinois driving record and assigned points. To get more information and to make sure if points will be assigned and if so how many, check with the IL Secretary of State Service for Motorist division.

Goodluck!

MariCAR