Buy Cheaper Auto Insurance in Case You’re in a Tampa Auto Accident

With every mailing, billboard and gecko telling you that they offer the cheapest auto insurance rates, how do you choose? Of course it’s not always just about price, but in these economic times price is very important and despite home values declining auto premiums were up 10% in 2008. And given the legal consequences of driving without coverage, dropping your auto insurance just simply isn’t an option. If you don’t have coverage you could be forced to pay fines or lose your license for a period of time. If you are in a Tampa auto accident and don’t carry at least the minimum amount of insurance, you could lose your license for up to twenty years if the other party gets a judgment against you for property damage or injuries.

So in buying cheaper auto insurance, the first thing you should know is that the insurance companies aren’t all really the cheapest. Auto insurance companies can legally claim they are cheapest if they offer the lowest rates for at least one demographic subset. So for example, if they have the lowest rates for married women in Alaska ages 20-29 with spotless driving records, but what good does that do you?

Second, low rates upfront don’t help if it costs you more in the long run. Perhaps the low cost company will provide you less service, less valuable coverage by requiring you to use after-market replacement parts from low-quality repair shops or higher deductibles. Any accident attorney Tampa will tell you that if you’re involved in Tampa car accident, that’s not something that you’ll want to have to deal with.

So what should a consumer do? Consider going to www.JDPower.com to see who has the most satisfied customers based on criteria that includes price, service, etc. Click the “Insurance” Tab and then click “Auto Insurance Provider Ratings.” You’ll find for example that Amica Insurance has the highest rating [Legal Disclosure: I’ve had Amica for many years and I’ve been very satisfied with them. Amica was rated tops recently in Consumer Reports as well].

Also consider these other factors that influence your rates. Most carriers look at your credit to determine how much to charge you even though there’s no proof that scores are related to accidents. 27 states have tried to ban the practice, unsuccessfully. Improve your score and lower your premium. If you shorten your commute to work, carriers will often reduce your rate—but you have to ask. Choose your car wisely since vehicle damage is insurers’ biggest costs.

In this economy as you look for ways to reduce your expenses, dropping your car accident insurance may seem like a good idea. After all, who plans on being in an auto accident in the near term? But that decision can cost you a lot, including the loss of your license which would likely really put on you some financial pressure. So rather than dropping your auto insurance, Tampa car accident lawyers would tell you that it makes the most sense to try and lower your expenses by buying car accident insurance for as little as possible, and of course, do your best to avoid a Tampa car accident, after all, you’ll still have to pay the deductibles.