California Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program

In 2000, the California Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program (LCA) was launched as a pilot program in San Francisco and Los Angeles counties in an effort to address the problem of uninsured motorists in the state who were good drivers and demonstrated financial need. In the late part of 2007, the program was rolled-out statewide pursuant to California Insurance Code Section 11629.7.

The California Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program is administered by the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan (CAARP) and local licensed insurance agents, or producers, certified with CAARP, are able to write coverage through the Low Cost Program.

Pacific Preferred Insurance Agency located in Oxnard, is one of just a couple agencies certified to offer this program in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Ken Goodwin, licensed agent and owner of Pacific Preferred Insurance Agency said, “We are happy to be part of this program and help good drivers in California secure liability insurance protection at affordable rates”. Goodwin went on to explain, “In these tough economic times, this program provides low-income families and individuals, the ability to meet California’s mandatory auto insurance law”.

California law requires drivers carry a minimum of $15,000 per person for bodily injury liability coverage, $30,000 per accident, and $5,000 for property damage. As part of the deal to lower the price of the policy, state legislators allowed carriers to lower the standard limits to $10,000 per person, $20,000 per accident, and $3,000 for property damage.

As of 2011, it is estimated that approximately 10,500 of California’s roughly 24 million drivers had insurance through this program. Goodwin feels that there are many more people throughout Ventura County alone that could benefit greatly from this program.
.
If an applicant qualifies, the current annual premium in Ventura County was $248 a year, $231 in Santa Barbara County and $347 a year in Los Angeles County.

Other requirements for drivers seeking the policy include:

•The driver must be at least 19 years old and have been driving for at least three consecutive years;
•Insurance applicants may have no more than one property-damage-only insurance claim in which they were at fault or one point for a moving violation within the last three years;
•The car being insured may not be worth more than $20,000;
•The insured may not be a college student claimed as a dependent for federal or state income tax purposes;
•The driver cannot have an in-force liability insurance policy for another vehicle.
There is also a 25 percent surcharge for unmarried males between the ages of 19 and 24, because this population segment represents the highest driving risk.

Competitive auto insurance rates in California may mean that additional coverage beyond the reduced liability limits of the LCA program are made available through the private auto insurance market. It is important to consult with your insurance carrier or agent to find the policy that works best for your individual needs.

If you would like to learn more, you can visit http://mylowcostauto.com, call CAARP at (866) 602-8861 or call Pacific Preferred Insurance Agency at 805-351-3851 and speak with Ken Goodwin, who is a certified producer/agent who can help local residents throughout Southern California.

*as of 02/15/2013 - subject to change

Brown Approves Driver's Licenses for Immigrants

Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2189 into law late this past Sunday. The bill is authored by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo of Los Angeles.  He has worked years to get immigrants the right to drive legally in California. The new law will allow some undocumented Californians between ages 16 to 31 to obtain driver licenses using paperwork issued by President Obama’s work permit program. Many can fill out paperwork themselves, but advocates warn that scammers have been aggressively selling their purported services to immigrants. Some are charging $1,000 to $2,500 per applicant.

Assemblyman Gil Cedillo argues that this will ensure immigrants are better drivers because they will have to be tested and it will make it more likely that they will then obtain car insurance. Cedillo said in a statement that California was the first state to issue driver licenses for the group helped by the federal work permit program and that the new California law applies to about 350,000 California residents.

Those eligible must currently be in school, have graduated from high school or have been honorably discharged from the Coast Guard or Armed Forces. They must have arrived in the country before they were 16 -- and have been under 31 as of June 15. And they must not have been convicted of a felony, "significant misdemeanor: or three or more misdemeanors, among other requirements.

Determination of “Principally At-Fault” Accidents in California

In 2011, The California Department of Insurance made changes to California Administrative Code Title 10, Section 2632.13 Determination of “Principally At-Fault” Accidents.
This section explains the procedures an insurer should follow to determine whether a driver may be considered principally at-fault for an accident for the purpose of determining the driver’s driving safety record and eligibility for the Good Driver Discount.

Effective last December, insurance companies made the following changes to adhere to these requirements:

• Insurance carriers will record a claim as “Chargeable – Damage to Property Only” with the surcharge of (1) Good Driver point where:
• The driver is greater than or equal to 51% at fault; and
• No CA-specific fault exemptions apply; and
• Damage is to property only and the damage exceeds $1,000
  Please note: the $1,000 threshold is inclusive of any deductible charges. For example: $500 deductible + $600 collision payout would be considered as chargeable.
• Insurance carriers will record a claim as “Chargeable – Bodily Injury Involved” with the surcharge of (2) Good Driver points in the event that the claim involves bodily injury or death and:
• The driver is greater than or equal to 51% at fault; and
• No CA-specific fault exemptions apply

It is important for consumers to keep any evidence of how a claim was handled in their personal records. California Department of Motor Vehicle records do not show which party was at fault in an accident. If you change insurance companies, you may need to prove to your new carrier that an accident was not chargeable. Keeping a copy of the claims adjustor’s letter can be very helpful. You should keep this information for a minimum of three years. If you don't have this information you may have to ask the insurance carrier at the time of the accident for a letter of experience.

Keep Tires Properly Inflated

You can improve your gas mileage by up to 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all foru tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.

The proper tire pressure for your vehicle is usually found on a sticker in the drivers's side door jamb or the glove box and in your owner's manual. Do not use the maximum pressure printed on the tire's sidewall.

Trial by Written Declaration: Increase Your Chances of Beating that Traffic Ticket!

I decided to share a little secret that most people just don’t know exists on how to fight a traffic ticket here in California through the mail.  That’s right, in most cases, you don’t have to waste time standing in line, waiting in court, and presenting your case in front of the judge to fight that speeding or red light camera ticket.  Instead it can all be done right through the mail by a process called Trial by Written Declaration.  On the back of every California issued ticket, you can find information for Trial by Written Declaration, but most people simply don’t notice it.  In fact, for years, I didn’t even know it existed until a friend pointed it out to me one day.  Most basic traffic infractions are eligible for this service, but as with any legal matter you should ALWAYS CHECK FIRST WITH THE COURT HANDLING YOUR CASE TO ENSURE YOU ARE INDEED ELIGIBLE TO FILE A TRIAL BY WRITTEN DECLARATION AND YOU SHOULD CONSULT A LAWYER REGARDING YOUR SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTER BEFORE TAKING ANY ACTION IN WHICH YOU ARE NOT AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES.

Hopefully you don’t or won’t ever need to learn more about how this process works.  However, if you do, or you have a friend or family member that does, please feel free to share this article with them. 

The Trial by Written Declaration isn’t that difficult to complete once you have read the instructions. You will need to completely fill out the Request for Trial by Written Declaration (form TR-205) and sign it and mail it to the court with the required bail amount, which is another way of saying the “fine amount”. Once you mail in your statement to the court, the judge will request a statement from the officer. It takes the traffic court between 30 days to 90 days on average to review the Trial by Written Declaration defense and make a decision on it. If the officer doesn’t respond then generally your case will be dismissed for lack of prosecution. You can find estimates online that state you stand about a 30% change of having your citation dismissed due to no response from the officer. If the traffic ticket is dismissed as a result of the Trial by Written Declaration the traffic court will send a full refund of the bail amount that was submitted at the time the Trial by Written Declaration documents were filed, usually within 60 days. If you lose your Trial by Written Declaration you have 20 days to request a new trial pursuant to CVC 40902-d (a “Trial de Novo”, form TR-220). You can then appear in court for the first time for your second chance of winning.  At this point, if you lose you can request that the judge allow you to attend traffic school if you are eligible.

There are several websites that offer to complete the request for Trial by Written Declaration for you at a charge of $200 or more.  Most even offer a “money back guarantee” if you don’t win. A word of CAUTION however, many of these offers have a disclaimer with small fine print that further explains only a small portion of the total fee is refundable. 

In the end, it’s in your best interest to avoid a conviction from appearing on your motor vehicle record.  It can increase your insurance by an average of $250 per year for three to five years. 

Have questions about your auto insurance?  Want to save time and money shopping for the best possible rates that offer the most value?  Then call us today at 805.351.3851 and speak with a licensed agent at PacificPreferred Insurance Agency or email us at info@PacificInsuresMe.com!   

All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only.  We encourage that you consult with a lawyer regarding your specific legal situation before filing any paperwork with the court. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.

Ten of the Funniest Car Accident Excuses

I recently found some real life excuses that were on accident claim forms for a major insurance company.  Clients were asked for a brief statement describing how the accident occurred and below are some of those examples.  I have narrowed it down to what I believe is the top ten, but not in order of preference.  I would love to hear what you feel is your favorite one(s)?  Please respond on our Facebook Fan Page.

1.       The other car collided with mine without giving warning of its intention.

2.       I thought my window was down but found it was up when I put my hand through it.

3.       A pedestrian hit me and went under my car.

4.       The guy was all over the place. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.

5.       I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law and headed over the embankment.

6.       As I approached the intersection, a stop sign suddenly appeared in a place where no stop sign had ever appeared before. I was unable to stop in time to avoid the accident.

7.       To avoid hitting the bumper of the car in front, I struck the pedestrian.

8.       An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my vehicle and vanished.

9.       I saw the slow-moving, sad-faced old gentleman as he bounced off the hood of my car.

10.   Coming home, I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don’t have.

Although many might find humor in this article, please know that my intention is not to downplay or minimize the seriousness of being involved in a car accident.  I know firsthand how unpleasant the experience can be and that more serious ones resulting in bodily injury can have lasting effects. 

As always, be safe out there on the road.  You have control over your actions, but not over the actions and reactions of other drivers.  Finally, as warm weather arrives and the days grow longer, more motorcycle riders appear on the roads.  Please take an extra care, share the road, and stay alert at all times! 

Car Totaled in California: You Have Options

If unfortunately you end up in a serious accident, your insurance company may declare your vehicle a “total loss” or “totaled”. A car is totaled if the cost to repair it exceeds its current value as determined by industry statistics. Insurance companies tend to use databases such as CCC Information Services. For most insurers, the vehicle will be considered totaled if repairs add up to 75% or 80% of market value.  Insurance companies may use factors like age of vehicle, mileage and general condition to figure out the car’s actual cash value. 

Before you decide to accept a settlement amount, be sure to use resources that can easily be accessed online to validate the actual cash value.  For example, use Kelley Blue Book, the National Association of Automobile Dealers guide and Edmunds’ True Market Value appraiser to name a few.  You can always contact dealers to obtain an estimate as well.  You will need this information if you decide to appeal the settlement offer and request for an adjustment.  Whichever database, site, or appraisal source is used, remember, the insurance company has an obligation to restore you to your pre-accident status, vehicle-wise that is.

At the end of the day, if you and the insurance company still can’t resolve your differences, you may have the right under your policy to get an independent appraisal.  In California, the Department of Insurance offers an Automobile Claims Mediation Program, which helps resolve disputes about total losses and other physical damage claims.  Although there is no cost for consumers, the amount of claim must exceed $7,500 and the disputed difference between the policy holder and the insurance company must be at least $2,000.

Sometimes there are good reasons why people might want to keep their vehicle even when it is declared a total loss by the insurance company.  Whether your reasons are sentimental or financial, you can negotiate a deal to buy back the vehicle from the insurance company.  This transaction typically will subtract from the final cash settlement offer whatever the insurer could have received for the wrecked vehicle from a salvage yard.

For instance, if your car is worth $5,000 but the repairs would be $5,800, and you want to buy it back, you would get the $5,000 cash value, minus what a salvage bidder offered -- $1,000 or so – and your deductible. You pay the salvage bid, because that is the money the insurer could have recouped by totaling the car and selling it to the salvage yard.

If what is left over is sufficient to repair your vehicle or you are willing to come out of pocket because you don’t want to part with the vehicle, you can then get it fixed on your own.  But, wait, in California, like in most states, you still will need to deal with the issue of the insurance company reporting the car as totaled to the Department of MotorVehicle.  The title on the vehicle will then show salvaged, which is a way of informing future buyers that the car was severely damaged and totaled at one time.  Additionally, the repairs you get done on the vehicle must pass DMV inspection before it can be re-registered. Although the insurance company may continue to cover it, there might be restrictions that could include eliminating coverage for any future accident repairs.   

Few people want to hear after an accident that an insurance adjuster has pronounced their vehicle a total loss, but it happens.  If it happens to you, the team at Pacific Preferred Insurance Agency hope that this article has helped by making the experience a little less painful and more informed to make the best decision for your own unique situation. We always suggest that you discuss with your agent questions you may have as it relates specifically to your policy.