Reader’s Question:

I am wondering , can a car insurance carrier in Ohio ask about any medical conditions you have such as heart problems, epilepsy or diabetes? Can they ask that? Is that legal?

Karl

Cincinnati, OH

Normally a car insurance company is permitted to ask questions about risk factors that could affect the insurance policy they would be offering an individual. There are certain medical medications and conditions that can impair your driving abilities and therefore be a risk factor to an insurance company.

To obtain a driver’s license in Ohio from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) you must answer questions regarding your physical health and any medical conditions that you might have. If you have a condition that might affect your driving, the examiner will tell you the steps that you have to take and give you with a medical packet (form BMV 2058) which must be filled out by your doctor.

Reader’s Question:

I have a couple of tickets for speeding and one accident 3 years ago in Ohio. Im just wondering how long do tickets and accidents affect your insurance rate?

Michael

Toledo, OH

The Ohio’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles states that there is no section of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) that says convictions will ever come off of an individual’s driving record.

Your OH car insurance rate can increase if you cause an accident or have a traffic violation. The insurer can increase (”surcharge”) your insurance premium if you are at fault in an accident or if you get a lot of traffic tickets. According to the Ohio Insurance Department of Insurance, you should not be surcharged for a minor traffic infraction or a single accident that was not your fault. In addition to that, insurance premiums cannot change until your next renewal date either.

Various companies have different rules. Most companies do not consider incidents that are more than 3 years old, but some car insurance carriers will look back as far as 5 years in Ohio.

If it has been over 3-5 years since your last ticket or moving violation conviction it does not necessarily mean that your insurance provider will automatically lower your insurance rate. According to the Ohio Insurance Department of Insurance, periodically you should ask your insurance company to review your premium to be certain that you are getting the best insurance rate possible.