Reader’s Question:

If my car was stolen and the thief who stole it crashes into someone or something, am I going to be held liable for the damages done to other people and their property? I’m from Bridgeport, CT.

Janice

Bridgeport, CT

You won’t be held liable but you probably will have to use your collision insurance to pay for the damage to your car. Don’t rely on the thief having auto insurance, let alone enough money to use for repairs and medical expenses. Even if he does have auto insurance, his company won’t pay for his criminal act.

Your car insurance policy will automatically increase to meet that CT minimum required coverages. If you have the minimum auto liability coverages required in your state and you are involved in an accident in another state that requires higher minimum coverages or other coverages (such as personal injury protection),

Some states restrict the ability of their citizens to sue one another for pain and suffering after an auto accident. There are 13 states that follow these rules and are known as “no-fault” states. However, these states allow their citizens to bring to courts accidents involving people from other states after an auto accident.

Tags: auto insurance claims, auto insurance premium, automobile

Reader’s Question:

I heard that in Connecticut, there is what is called as the “sequential analysis method? How is this defined? If I have a previous driving violation in Danbury CT, do I need more car insurance coverage?

Cecille

Danbury, CT

A legislation in the state of Connecticut (CT) was established in 2003 that gave greater weight, in decreasing order of importance, to a driver’s safety record, the number of miles driven annually, the number of years of driving experience, and other factors, rather than place of residence. This is called the sequential analysis method which is used for calculating rates for auto insurance policies.

With this legislation, car insurers are required to use a sequential analysis method for establishing insurance rates where territorial classifications are given the least importance. Therefore residence is not used or has the lowest on the sequence of weights toward an insurance rate calculation. To better determine your rates, I would suggest contacting Connecticut Department of Insurance since they could tell you more about the sequential analysis method and factors that auto insurance providers can use.

It is your choice if you will need more car insurance coverage than what you currently have. Normally, you should be notified by your state if you need to obtain more insurance after having previous driving or moving violations. But bear in mind that you should always buy what you can afford. You can place physical damage coverages of collision and comprehensive on your policy if you want to cover your own vehicle in case of an accident claim.

Tags: automobile, car insurance, car insurance rate, traffic violation

Reader’s Question:

Will my car insurance rate quotes in Bristol, Connecticut be cheaper after giving birth? I’m having financial difficulty and may consider shopping for a new car insurance provider.

Vanessa

Bristol, CT

Depending on a particular insurance provider in Bristol, Connecticut, having a baby may or may not affect your premium rates. Some insurance provider may provide discounts or a reduction in rates based on lifestyle events that they believe signal maturity, such as getting married and having a baby. So, if you’re a parent this would give you a reduction in rate with some auto insurers. It is not a standard or typical item that affects your rate though.

The reason behind this is that some companies underwriting rules may allow your rates to do down when you have a baby since they believe you to become a more mature, responsible driver with a child in the vehicle. Though not all insurance companies will reduce your rates once you have a baby, it is still important to speak to your Bristol, CT insurance agent to see possible discounts especially if you have a baby that you transport in your vehicle or are expecting one soon. You may also want to shop around with other insurance companies to see if you can reduce your rates if your rates are not yet discounted. You can start your comparison for cheap auto insurance quotes online.

Tags: auto insurance online, Car insurance discounts, car insurance quotes, car insurance rate, cheap auto insurance

Reader’s Question:

I live in Danbury, CT and had my stepdaughter insured on our car insurance policy while she was temporarily living with us for three years. We remove her from our insurance policy when she went to college in another state. She does not have a vehicle and she will likely spend the most of her vacations with her mother who lives in CT as well. Will my stepdaughter be covered on our car insurance policy if she comes back to our house and drive our car?

Karen

Danbury, CT

Connecticut insurance carrier guidelines vary so to find out what your specific insurance provider in Danbury allows in a situation like that, you will need to contact your insurance broker or agent and tell them the situation. Depending upon your insurance company’s underwriting rules they may want you to add your stepdaughter back to the insurance policy as a driver for her occasional visit or they may permit her to be covered under your current policy if she comes in to visit.

If her mother has your stepdaughter covered under her policy for her visits there then you should inform your insurance carrier to check if that fact will make a difference if they will require her on the policy or not.

Most insurance carriers require that you include all household members on your insurance policy, including any children away from home or at college that may drive your car during the occasional visits.

Tags: autos, car, car insurance, teen insurance

Reader’s Question:

I have a Connecticut drivers license and I received a speeding ticket recently, on a non-limited access road in Bristol CT. The police officer said that because of CT speeding laws, I would need to appear in court in two weeks and they will set the amount for the ticket. How much is the cost of this ticket usually?

Lee

Bristol, CT

The State of Connecticut Judicial Branch site states that the fine amounts are set by the judges of the Connecticut Superior Court. The judges set a schedule of fines for all automobile violations and infractions each year.

If you were cited for a speeding violation, then it would appear from the fine information I found that your fine would be about $211. If you were cited under a different CT statute number then you should check at a fine schedule to find the speeding offense you were ticketed for. Either way to know for sure what your total fine amount will be you should contact the court listed on your speeding ticket to determine how much your particular court usually sets for speeding over the limit on a non-limited access road.

Tags: auto insurance, car

Reader’s Question:

I would like to know how long does a driving infraction stay on your record in the state of Connecticut?

Lance

Waterbury, CT

The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) representative states that, minor violations stay on your record for three (3) years based on the date the court reports to them. Some major infractions though, such as a DUI, may stay active it stays on your record for a longer period of time, up to ten years in fact.

They Connecticut DMV also notes that out of state infractions are only reported to them if you fail to pay the traffic ticket. So it would appear that out of state infractions would not be placed on your Connecticut driver’s record or assigned points if you properly take care of the violation.