Car insurance in VA

[jeanieCZ 228]

Hi guys, 

 

I have a couple of questions regarding the car insurance. 

My fiancee (US Citizen) owns a car and of course, car insurance. It seems that since I will move in with her, she'll need to add me to her insurance, because the insurance company assumes (!) that any adult living on the same house address has access to her car and therefore drives it. Does anybody have experience with this? 

 

I heard a newly-insured driver pays hundreds of USD monthly on car insurance....I obviously want to avoind paying such ridiculous amounts of money, especially while I wait for my Green Card and cannot work! I have owned a European driving license since 2009 and dare to say I am an experienced driver, never been involved in a car accident. Is my driving history something a US car insurance company would consider, or they just don't care?

[WandY 430]

1. Insurance often depends on the insurance company and jurisdiction (state), but generally spouses (not fiances) are covered, as long as they have a valid license. You probably will not be added under fiance's policy. If the fiance has comprehensive insurance, you will be covered as long as you have permission to use the vehicle and have a valid drivers license. If your fiance has liability only, you are probably not covered. Again, it depends on jurisdiction and the insurance companies.

 

2. Insurance is relatively inexpensive and not hundreds of dollars per month. For instance, I pay about $750 per year for total coverage on a $30,000 car being financed since buying new in 2017. In some states, I'd pay more and some I might pay less. I have a clean record and no accidents in which I was at fault.

 

2. In general, liability insurance follows the driver and comprehensive/collision follows the car.

 

3. You need a valid drivers license. Don't drive your fiance's vehicles without one.

 

4. American insurance companies don't care about your foreign driving record.

 

 

[yuna628 9,528]

Insurance follows the car and not the driver. If she is adding you as a covered driver and giving you permission to drive it then you will be covered. However if you have your own vehicle you would not be covered without purchasing your own insurance. If you cause an accident the insurance holder will be liable if you also do not have insurance that has coverage.

 

For instance me and my husband were struck while driving my father's vehicle, which he had permission to drive and is covered as a driver in the household. The person that struck us did not have any insurance and was driving his family member's vehicle which he was not listed as a covered driver and didn't have permission (he literally just took it!). Our car was damaged and we suffered injuries. The person that struck us attempted to lie to both insurance agencies about the cause of the accident, and they all weren't too happy with him. Needless to say we received a payout from the insurance and also had our car fixed. I would assume though that he would have had even bigger problems if we had reserved our right to sue.

 

As a new driver in the US, even if you have years of experience,e it is wise to get yourself some sort of coverage. It will be high for a little while but come down over time. They will not care about any foreign driving experience I'm afraid. Shop around and see what the companies say and also make sure about the rules of the policy. https://www.esurance.com/info/car/car-insurance-follows-the-driver-myth

 

Also you're going to need to get a license from the state you live in.

 

 

Edited September 11, 2019 by yuna628

[HRQX 4,145]

(deleted) "Several states - Kansas, Michigan, New York, Virginia, and Wisconsin - don't allow named driver exclusions at all, calling the creation of an uninsured driver antithetical to public policy."

Edited September 11, 2019 by HRQX

[jeanieCZ 228]

9 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

 https://www.esurance.com/info/car/car-insurance-follows-the-driver-myth

I cannot access the website. This is what I get:

Looks like Esurance doesn't do business in your area yet.

Right now, we offer products in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. If you're in one of those areas and feel you're getting this message in error, give us a call at 1-800-ESURANCE (1-800-378-7262)

 

 

9 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

 

Also you're going to need to get a license from the state you live in.

Thank you, I am aware of that.

[yuna628 9,528]

Just now, jeaniecz said:

I cannot access the website. This is what I get:

Looks like Esurance doesn't do business in your area yet.

Right now, we offer products in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. If you're in one of those areas and feel you're getting this message in error, give us a call at 1-800-ESURANCE (1-800-378-7262)

 

 

Thank you, I am aware of that.

Ah, you don't have a VPN I guess. Here's some snippets:

 

Quote

Even if your friend has great coverage with the highest limits and the lowest deductibles, your auto insurance would have to cover the damages if your friend got into an accident while driving your car.

car insurance follows the car

If you're thinking of letting someone drive your car for a few hours, days, or weeks, keep in mind that you're not only lending your car, you're also lending your car insurance. In most states, comprehensive and collision coverage protects your vehicle regardless of who's driving it.

Though state laws vary, here's how auto insurance coverage breaks down in the event of an accident:

• If you give any non-excluded driver (that is, someone you don't explicitly exclude on your policy) permission to take the wheel, your car insurance takes primary coverage status, which means that your car insurance would be primarily liable if something happens. The permitted driver's own insurance would serve as secondary coverage. So, for instance, if you loan your car to your best friend Drew and he causes an accident, you'll have to file a claim with your insurer, pay the deductible, and possibly expect a rate increase. If Drew has auto insurance, he might be responsible for any personal liability and medical expenses. Additionally, his coverage might have to step in if the limits of your policy have already been reached.
• If Drew gets into an accident and isn't at fault, you won't have to worry about your insurance taking a hit. Generally, you can file a claim with the at-fault party's insurance, skip paying the deductible, and get coverage for any damages to your vehicle.
• If Drew happens to be an uninsured driver and causes an accident, you could be liable for all of the damages. For example, if your uninsured friend causes a 3-car pileup that exceeds your car insurance limits, the injured parties could sue you to pay for medical fees and property damages.

permissive use

Due to a provision in your car insurance policy called an "omnibus clause," your insurance will cover any driver, family member who lives with you, and even your dependent children away at school, so long as they have your permission to drive your vehicle.

Note that in some states, permissive drivers will have reduced coverage while operating your vehicle.

non-permissive use

If your car's taken without your consent, you won't be held accountable for any damages. For instance, if a thief takes your car for a joyride and crashes it into a parked BMW 740i, you won't be liable for any damage to the BMW. However, you'll most likely have to use your insurance to cover any damages to your vehicle.

On the other hand, if a friend borrows your car without your permission and causes an accident, your friend's insurance will probably be considered primary coverage and yours secondary.

If your friend doesn't have insurance, you're out of luck. In most circumstances, you'll have to use your own auto insurance to cover the accident.

One thing to note: unless it's clear that you expressly deny permission, most car insurance companies will usually assume that your friend, visiting relative, or family member residing with you has your permission to drive your vehicle. So, if an accident were to occur, chances are you'll still be liable for damages, even if you didn't personally or verbally hand over the keys.

 

[jeanieCZ 228]

21 minutes ago, WandY said:

1. Insurance often depends on the insurance company and jurisdiction (state), but generally spouses (not fiances) are covered, as long as they have a valid license. You probably will not be added under fiance's policy. If the fiance has comprehensive insurance, you will be covered as long as you have permission to use the vehicle and have a valid drivers license. If your fiance has liability only, you are probably not covered. Again, it depends on jurisdiction and the insurance companies.

Thank you, we will check with the insurance company. I just 

 

21 minutes ago, WandY said:

2. Insurance is relatively inexpensive and not hundreds of dollars per month. For instance, I pay about $750 per year for total coverage on a $30,000 car being financed since buying new in 2017. In some states, I'd pay more and some I might pay less. I have a clean record and no accidents in which I was at fault.

Is is relative to your credit score?

 

21 minutes ago, WandY said:

 

2. In general, liability insurance follows the driver and comprehensive/collision follows the car.

Thank you, this is very helpful. I have no idea which one she has but will look into that.

 

21 minutes ago, WandY said:

 

3. You need a valid drivers license. Don't drive your fiance's vehicles without one.

I wasn't planning to. You know, in Europe, we are only allowed to drive a car if holding a valid DL, too 😜

 

21 minutes ago, WandY said:

 

4. American insurance companies don't care about your foreign driving record.

Hmmm, I was afraid they wouldn't, which is a pity, but nothing to do about it, I guess.

[jeanieCZ 228]

15 minutes ago, HRQX said:

(deleted) "Several states - Kansas, Michigan, New York, Virginia, and Wisconsin - don't allow named driver exclusions at all, calling the creation of an uninsured driver antithetical to public policy."

I apologize, but I don't know what you're talking about.... Could you explain?

[HRQX 4,145]

1 minute ago, jeaniecz said:

I apologize, but I don't know what you're talking about.... Could you explain?

In states like California, it's allowed to exclude individuals from the policy: https://www.insurance.com/auto-insurance/saving-money/exclude-a-problem-driver-from-your-policy.html Virginia isn't one of those states. That is why I edited my post.

[Fr8dog 312]

So, not only do I live in VA, I also ended up marrying a person who worked for a car insurance company in VA and was based at their HQ in DC for years.

 

So when I first came over, after years of not being here, she let me borrow her car and needless to say we ran it up the flagpole with the legal department.  At that time I was visiting and was covered as an incidental driver. I did not need to provide any more info no need to provide letters or copy of drivers license.

 

When I moved here in 2015, she was still working for them but now at their VA branch. Now the details changed. I was officially living with her but not married yet. I was no longer considered a incidental driver nor listed as spouse. I did not have a Virginia license and was not able to get one either (not until I got my NOA-1 for my adjustment of status). I provided a copy of my dutch drivers license and a copy of my international one (the last one was a useless as I suspected they did not want that). They would have liked to have a copy of my driving record. However the Dutch do not hand those out, the only thing you can get is a statement from your last insurance company. I had one of those (they were even able to get me an English one) but again it was useless and the American insurance did not want it

 

Her insurance rate did not increase (or maybe a few bucks) by adding me. Granted I was over the age of 40 so that helped a lot.

 

Couple of months later I was still driving on my Dutch license but had purchased a car. She added the car to her policy and we are both listed as drivers for both cars.

 

So in short, have her run a quote with you as a spouse and with you as household member. Unless the premium is ridiculously high get on her policy right away otherwise wait until you are married. Do not drive her car until you are on the policy you are not an incidental driver.