Unfortunately, people sometimes like to take the cheap route rather than the safe route.  Such was the case for a professional truck driver who was hit a few months ago by an uninsured motorist.

The big message from BenGlassLaw in recent months has been a major warning about not skimping on your under- and uninsured motorist coverage when you purchase a car insurance policy.

Well, this truck driver didn’t even have the opportunity to opt out on his own from getting the best coverage possible.  It was the choice of his boss.

Because his boss wanted to save a few hundred dollars a year, this truck driver will suffer the consequences.

What can you learn from this?  Ask questions of your employer when it comes to these things and make sure that they are acting in your best interest.  Send them to this article and the above video.  Don’t let yourself be the victim of a cheap insurance policy.  And if you are the boss of professional drivers, don’t play games with the cost, since millions costs more than hundreds.

(This post is a continuation of Keep Your Insurance Rates Low in 2011 Part 1 and Part 2)

Here are some final miscellaneous tips on how to keep your insurance rates low in Virginia in 2011.

• Increase your deductible. By simply putting aside extra money to cover your deductible should an accident happen, you can save a tidy percentage on your premium.  Planning ahead financially and creating a “rainy day” fund will save you money in the long-run.
• Lower the coverage on older cars. Don’t over-insure vehicles that you won’t collect much money on in the event of an accident.  If the vehicle is particularly low in value, you may be able to effectively drop your collision insurance.
• Use the same insurer for home and auto. Most companies will offer discounts to customers who purchase more than one type of insurance from them.  Of course, you should also do your research to find out if you would save more by simply purchasing your auto insurance from a different company.

Here is a list of other potential reasons you may receive a discount on your auto insurance.

• Long-time customer.
• Owning more than one car.
• No moving violations or accidents in the last three years.
• Anti-theft devices.

You should always ask your insurance provider about their discount policies before purchasing an auto insurance policy.  Being a smart consumer is always a wise idea, so do your research and take the time to consult available sources.

Saving money on your insurance can be as easy as just asking for a discount for which you may already qualify.  Follow the above tips and you could keep your auto insurance rates low in Virginia in 2011.

Welcome one and all to the New Year.  It’s 2011 and one thing likely hasn’t changed.  You’re still driving and you’re still paying for an auto insurance policy.  Maybe you’re paying more than you expected.

Well, now is the perfect time to reexamine your driving habits and to make a resolution to turn things around.

There are a number of basic steps that you can take to bring down your auto insurance rates in Virginia.  So what can you do starting today to make an impact on the necessary expense of auto insurance?

The best way to go about reducing the cost of insurance is to be a safe driver.  Here are some ways to stay safe:

• Stop texting while driving! Distracted driving has been acknowledged by some experts as being just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated.  When you use your phone to text, you take your eyes of the road and become a danger to yourself and everyone else on the road.  Teenagers are especially vulnerable to this distraction, but adults are included in the bad habit.
• Never, ever drive drunk. This is common sense.  Spend the money to get a taxi or have a responsible friend serve as your designated driver.  The money for a taxi will seem like pennies compared to a hike in your auto insurance rates that lasts for years.  The consequences of drunk driving, of course, could be much more severe than financial.  Keep that in mind before you get behind the wheel after a night at the bar.
• Observe and obey the speed limit. Every speeding ticket you get costs you both now and in the future.  First, you have to pay the fine for speeding and then your insurance rates can increase which will cost you money in the future.  Follow the posted limits and leave a few minutes earlier to get to your destination rather than speeding.
• Avoid accidents. Again, this seems like common sense, but there are ways to avoid accidents that you can start today.  Don’t tailgate other drivers.  If they need to stop suddenly, you may find yourself scrunched up against their bumper and at fault for the accident.  Don’t unnecessarily merge.  Some drivers weave back and forth into tight spaces to try and get ahead in traffic.  This practice has not only been proven unproductive, it also puts you and others at risk as you squeeze into tight spaces.

In Part Two, we will examine off-the-road ways you can keep auto insurance rates low in Virginia.

There are a lot of different insurances available to you. It helps to know exactly what you’re getting in terms of coverage.  So before you go out and buy a new policy, negotiate a new one, or shop around for a whole new

Liability – This type of insurance covers another driver’s physical injuries. When you are responsible for the other driver getting harmed, you are legally liable to pay for his medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses related to the accident. Liability insurance will take care of that for you, making this arguably the most essential insurance for a driver to have. There are two types of liability insurance, namely single limit and split limit. A single limit policy entails the insurance company to pay up to the policy limit for a single accident. A split limit on the other hand contains three set policy limits. One limit is for physical injuries to another person, another is for injuries caused by an accident involving more than one person, and a limit for the property damage due to the accident.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage – This type of insurance covers expenses caused to you by an uninsured or underinsured driver. This also covers hit-and-run accidents, which happen quite often.

Collision Insurance – This type of insurance covers any damage done to your car or motorcycle as a result of colliding with another vehicle or object. It also doesn’t matter who was responsible for the accident. It must be noted though that deductibles are involved with this kind of insurance.

Medical Payments Coverage (Med Pay) – Medical Payments coverage or Med Pay is a type of insurance sold by auto insurance companies. This covers medical expenditures (within policy limits) you may incur due to the accident; it also doesn’t matter who was at fault just like collision insurance.

Personal Injury Protection – This type insurance is similar with Med Pay, but it covers additional expenses. Not only are the medical expenditures covered, but also lost wages or replacement services.

Umbrella policies – This insurance safeguards you from being sued for an amount that is over your liability insurance limit. An umbrella policy steps in once your liability policy has all been used up. There is a catch before you can avail of this insurance though – you must match the insurance company’s liability insurance requirements. You must carry a liability insurance that is equal or more than the amount necessitated by the company.

Next time, before purchasing a whole new insurance policy, make sure you know what you are getting.  Also, YOU MUST WATCH THIS VIDEO to know how you can get the best coverage for the best price.  Make sure that you are fully protected.  And, of course, drive safe.

You read it right.  Virginia car insurance agents may be committing malpractice.

You and/or your loved ones may have been cheated out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in coverage because your insurance agent did not explain your options fully.  Even worse?  Your insurance agent may not have even received training that properly informed THEM about this fact.

Virginia attorney Ben Glass recently released the controversial video above in order to inform consumers about why they are losing out on this coverage.

Let’s break it down to the basics.

• For less than $2 per month, you could raise your coverage from the standard $100,000 to $1,000,000.  That’s right.  There could be a cool one million dollars covering you if an accident occurs for a few more pennies a day.
• Unfortunately, Virginia car insurance agents don’t pull in a great commission selling only $24 more worth of premium payments per year.
• Most people don’t find out how much a severe car accident can cost them until it’s too late.  Hint: It can easily cross the $100,000 mark.

To the credit of some agents, there are Virginia residents out there receiving the full million-dollar benefits.  Unfortunately, the fact still remains that too many people will be left filing for bankruptcy and losing their homes due to the hefty price tag on post-car accident bills.

So what can you do to avoid financial crisis after being the victim in an accident?

Next time, before you buy insurance, show the above video to your agent and make sure you are getting the best deal possible.  Pass it along to your friends and family.  This is the kind of information that the public deserves to be know about.

What is the formula for settlement in a personal injury case?  “I heard that you take the medical bills, you add them up and then you multiply by three or by two or by four, what is the formula?”

Well, this comes as no surprise to you, but there really is no formula for settling personal injury claims.

Personal injury claims, when they go to trial are determined by juries.  Juries decide how much money the plaintiff will be awarded and they’re not given any formula book.  Instead, they’re given evidence and a list of items of damage that they may consider and then they arrive in their own mind what your case is worth.

So what that tells us is that while there is no formula for settlement in a personal injury case, there is definitely a methodology, a way of looking at cases that are engaged in both by the insurance company who is making the offer and by the personal injury attorney who is making the recommendation for settlement.

Thinking of buying car insurance?  Want to get the best price possible on car insurance?

Then ignore all the hooplah out there and prepare to spend some time shopping for the right price and the right plan.

Buying car insurance in Virginia is a mindless, one phone-call activity for uninformed consumers.  However, for those people interested in getting just the right price with the neeeded coverage, it will mean shopping around for quotes.  So make sure your phone is by your side and you have something to write on.

Now look up the phone numbers for the names you see so often on the television:

• State Farm
• Allstate
• Progressive
• Geico
• AAA
• and more…

Make sure you’ve decided on who will be on your policy and what cars will be covered.  Take a peek at some of the previous articles to learn more about what kind of insurance you may want to purchase and what coverage you may want as well.

Some companies will offer your six-month renewable policies.  However, if you really want to lock down the deal you’re getting, think about getting a one-year policy.  That also means that you should ask if the quotes you are given are for six-month or one-year policies.

Once you have identified a few policies that fit in your price range, you should decide on which insurance company appeals to you most according to their history.  Think about what the service was like over the phone.  If it’s bad now, it could be worse later.  You want to know that you are a valued customer from the very beginning.  Of course, never overlook the most immediate resource of your friends and neighbors.  They likely have first-hand stories that will tell you more about the potential service issues or excellence.

Before you purchase, double-check everything.  This is a financial commitment and one that could save you a lot of grief if you choose well and have to call upon your insurance in your time of need.

Shopping for a car insurance policy can be an unusual experience for consumers.  Virginia has what is known as a competitive rating law.  This essentially means that the different insurance companies will be charging different rates for car insurance.

The first step to successfully shopping for car insurance in Virginia is by gaining as much knowledge on the subject as possible.  You can learn more about insurance types and additional coverages through The Ultimate Guide to Car Insurance in Virginia.  Being educated on what you need will save you money in the end by not buying excess coverage.

Next you should call around to insurance agents for different companies in the area to get quotes on your annual premium.  Just as with any other product, you want to shop around before selecting the best product for you.  Make sure you’re getting one year quotes and not six month quotes.

You may even want to consider buying a one-year policy rather than a six-month policy in order to avoid so many premium increases.

Next, after you have narrowed down your search based on pricing, learn more about the reliability of the companies.  You can learn a lot from friends and neighbors who will have had a wide variety of experiences with their various insurers.

Once you’ve prepared to make the investment, double check your finances and make sure that the policy you’ve chosen is the right fit.  Then you’re prepared to be a well-insured, smart consumer.

A car accident can be a life-altering experience that will always cost you money.  It could be in the form of medical payments, funeral expenses and/or loss of income.  Regardless, it hurts your once stable financial situation.

Fortunately, you can purchase medical expense and loss of income benefits coverage in Virginia.  Each one serves a separate purpose and provides relief in your time of need.

Medical expense benefits coverage takes care off “reasonable” medical and funeral expenses that occur due to your accident.  It will cover you regardless of who caused the accident.  Its coverage even extends to you and your family if you are hit while walking or riding in someone else’s car.  Finally, medical expense benefits will cover other people, such as friends and neighbors, who are riding in your car at the time of the accident.

Loss of income benefits coverage is designed to compensate for wages lost after an accident. It will pay out up to $100 per week for lost income, but this will only last up to 52 weeks.

Exploring your options for the best possible insurance coverage in Virginia is important as a smart consumer.  Consider who is being covered and what expenses will be taken care of after an accident.  To learn even more about car insurance in Virginia, check out The Ultimate Guide to Car Insurance in Virginia.

There are other types of insurance coverage that you can buy in Virginia.  Collision and comprehension coverage is designed to cover car repairs regardless of who may have been at fault in an accident.  On top of that, it also provides money for repairs that occur from a wide number of other causes including fire, water, vandalism and falling objects.  In addition, it helps protect you financially from the theft of car parts such as batteries and tires.

Collision and comprehensive coverage will carry over to vehicles that you rent in many cases, so read rental agreements carefully to make sure you’re getting the maximum protection possible.  You should always shop around for the best applicable insurance coverage for you.  Make sure you’re comfortable with your purchases and always feel free to ask your insurance agent questions about your insurance.

To learn more about this and more, check out The Ultimate Guide to Insurance in Virginia.