I am a resident of Cleveland, Ohio. I have been involved in three car accidents this year although none of them was my fault. Will this affect my insurance rates when I renew them?

Maureen

Cleveland, OH

Maureen, nice of you to bring this topic as a lot of people I know are asking this question. Let me just give you a brief interlude about insurance.

As you may know, insurance in general is about sharing risks. If more claims are made by members, it will translate to less profit for the insuring company. The opposite of this also holds true, the less claims members make, the more profit for the insurance company.

With this in mind, insurance companies now, including those in Cleveland, Ohio, are giving benefits to those drivers with good records. What does good record mean in the eye of the insurers? Good records come in the form of minimal to zero accident claims. Traffic tickets also are looked at, so expect higher premiums if you have a lot of tickets. The trend now really is, companies are now giving lower premiums to those members who ideally have zero claims. This pertains particularly to road accidents, and zero traffic tickets.

Maureen, I understand that you may gotten involved in three vehicular accidents but none of them was your fault. Although none of them was your fault, what will matter with your insurer is if you made claims on those accidents. So, if it was not your fault, make sure you make the party at fault make the claim so that your insurance premiums will not be affected, and much more importantly, you can keep your good driving record.

If I will be hired by a company and use a company car how far removed does my DUI have to be? I live in Lakewood, Ohio and it has almost been three years..

Jake

Lakewood, OH

The DUI in Lakewood, Ohio is listed at least six years on your driver’s record since it is noted by the OH Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) that it is considered a 1st DUI violation if you are found driving a car with a prohibited alcohol concentration or drug of abuse with no prior OVIs within the last six years on the driving history. It is considered a 2nd violation if you have at least one prior OMVI within the last six years on the driving history.

If you want to know how long exactly your DUI will stay on your driving history then check with the BMV. As for use of a company car, typically this is up to the individual company and their insurance company so you would have to speak with the hiring agent if the DUI on your driving record would keep you from using the company car or not.

How do I make an accident claim with my insurance company in Dayton, OH?

Fernando

Dayton, OH

If get involved in an accident where your car has sustained damage you can make a claim with your insurance carrier if you have physical damage coverages, meaning comprehensive and collision. If you have been in an accident the claim would normally go under your collision coverage and therefore the deductible associated with this coverage would be due.

To make an accident claim you will have to contact the claims department of the insurance carrier you are making the claim with. Your car insurance carrier will likely take your statement and want to get the information about the accident. If it is your own insurance company in Dayton Ohio they will also want to know if another car was involved and will be making a claim against your liability coverages.

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 car 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.

Do I need SR22 bond insurance to be able to drive a car and at the same time be covered, I have a DUI on my record? I work in car dealership in Ohio.

Ryan

Thank you for asking Ryan.

Sr22 is also sometimes called bond insurance. In other states it is surety bond or deposit. An SR22 policy is a filing made by an insurance provider to your home state to show proof that you have at least the state minimum required amount of liability. It is required for verification to the state regarding your financial responsibility when you drive a vehicle after getting convicted for a DUI / DWI or driving without insurance.

Most states permit at least one of the following to be used as financial responsibility:

* car insurance policy.
* A surety bond issued by any authorized insurance company.
* A State Motor Vehicle Department bond

* A State Motor Vehicle Department certificate for money or government bonds

* A certificate of proof of financial responsibility or sr22

Some states does not allow bonds for car insurance. It is used typically to show proof of financial responsibility and meet the required insurance of the state. You may check with the Ohio institution to verify this information.

I dont think that this is what you need for coverage on your car and the vehicles you drive for work. You may speak with your car insurance agents in Ohio on their suggestion about your situation .You can check with the dealership to check if you have been listed to their business policy and if that covers you.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

I would like to know what a non owners bond is? Am I required to have an insurance even if I do not own a vehicle. Can I drive my someone else’s car? What coverage can I get from non owners bond?

Leslie

Good question Leslie.

It is illegal in Ohio if you drive any vehicle without any car insurance or other financial responsibility (FR) proof. It is also against the law if a vehicle owner permits anyone else to drive their own vehicle with Financial Responsibility certificate. If you apply for a driver’s license or wants renew of such license, applicants in Ohio signs a statement stating that they have sr22 and will maintain Financial Responsibility (sr22) or will not drive a car in Ohio. This is the reason why you still need an sr22 even if you dont own a vehicle.

Non-owners sr22 is a car insurance that you may purchase if they do not own a car but will be driving other motor vehicles and is required to have a liability insurance. Typically, the non owners sr22 does not provide collision or comprehensive coverage on the motor vehicle.

A bond insurance is also another term for a SR-22. If you fail to show proof of financial responsibility in Ohio, it will result in violation of the Financial Reasponsibility law. You will be required to file with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) in Ohio a SR22 or bond. So you will need to continue maintaining sr22 for three to five years.

If you are being required to get an SR-22 and you do not own a car you can get a non-owner SR-22. You can fulfill the required liability insurance coverage by the Ohio BMV while driving vehicles.

Not all insurance companies offer sr-22. You may shop around or get quotes from individual insurance company websites to check which can give you the cheapest coverage in Ohio.

Goodluck!

MariCAR