West Virginia Car Insurance

Welcome to our West Virginia car insurance page, your source for information on finding and maintaining the best available WV auto insurance rates. Automobiles have been a rapidly growing part of American life, and with it the need for automobile insurance. Finding good coverage with great rates is not as difficult as many think it is. We make it easy with this valuable information and our free West Virginia auto insurance rate comparison tool.

Minimum West Virginia Auto Insurance Limits

The state of West Virginia has set a standard of insurance requirements which everyone who lives there must abide by. These minimum limits are $20,000 for every individual person in an accident, $40,000 for all people who were injured in the same accident, $10,000 for damage to any property that occurs as a result of an accident, and $20,000 for each person and $40,000 for each accident of uninsured motorist coverage.

Since West Virginia uses the popular tort system, some one is always found at fault in an accident. That person and their insurance company, if they have one, is required to pay for all expenses which arise from the accident they caused. These can include the other driver’s loss of earnings, and medical bills this creates, and for the pain they endure as well as a lawsuit for reckless driving. This is why it is so essential to carry complete auto insurance at all times.

There is a big price tag to pay for not carrying adequate insurance coverage. Penalties for not carrying insurance include:

1. Suspension of your driver’s license for 30 days the first time you are caught not carrying it and 90 the second.
2. There is also a $50 fee to reinstate your driver’s license if this occurs.
3. The registration on your vehicle will also be suspended with a $100 fee to reinstate it as well, plus the DMV will bill you an addition $50.
4. The police may also remove your license plates from your vehicle.
5. Until the guilty offender in an automobile accident fully pays what the judge decrees to the other driver, they will not be allowed to register a vehicle in this state.

If for any reason you can no longer use your vehicle, you can fill out a WB-4C form and submit it to your local DMV along with the reason for cancelling insurance so that you do not have to pay insurance on a vehicle you are not using. As long as a vehicle is registered it must be insured, and it must be insured before it can be registered.

These minimums are not what are recommended by most insurance companies. Because the price of living is always increasing, the resulting cost of an accident is always increasing.  To protect yourself from crushing medical bills and other expenses caused by an accident; most insurance companies suggest that you carry at least $100,000 to $300,000 for injuries to people and for uninsured coverage, and $50,000 for any damage done to any property.

Though personal injury protection is not required by law, it is highly recommended as it will pay for necessary medical bills which are reasonable. Also collision and comprehensive coverage are also offered but not mandatory. Remember that most of the state requirements are liability coverage so they will pay for the other driver’s injuries and expenses, you will need some coverage for yourself.

The statistics are showing a sharp increase in automobile theft and vandalism which is why it is very important to have a good insurance policy on your vehicle. After all you do not have the money to go out a buy a new car if yours gets stolen, if you are like most of us anyway.

Compare West Virginia Auto Insurance Companies

Whether you are looking for a new policy or looking to renew your old policy it is an extremely good idea to take a close look at your policy and compare it with what other companies are offering for the same plan. Be sure that you investigate a minimum of 3 different companies in your area. Since you can do this all online from the comfort of your home; finding good providers is not as time consuming or difficult as it use to be.

While you are looking online at the different insurance companies do not forget to check out their history with customer service. Price is not everything when it comes to auto insurance. You want a provider that will treat you well and respond to your claims in a quick and timely manner. You will also want to make sure that the insurance companies can afford to provide coverage for you, so look for financial stability in them too.

After you have discovered all this information and gotten price quotes from the insurance companies you are looking in to, you will want to compile and compare the information and use the process of elimination to find the perfect auto insurance provider for your personal needs. Take your time finding your new provider but do not let your current coverage lapse as this is very costly to repair. There is no policy that is best for everyone, you need to make the choice with your needs in mind and not worry about accommodating the insurance company.

When you fill our online price quotes or speak with a representative from an insurance company you will need to answer the questions honesty. Should your insurance company find out that you have lied on any of the questions, they will cancel your policy and it will be very difficult to find another one with that on your record.

In the event that you have been turned down by insurance companies there is a high-risk coverage offered by the state called the ‘West Virginia Auto Insurance Plan Office. This is an option you can fall back on, however it should only be used as a last result because the premiums for this coverage are extremely expensive.

Your insurance company has the right to cancel your coverage if:

1. You do not pay your premiums on time
2. If you are not honest in your dealings
3. If your driver’s license gets suspended
4. If you have more than 2 violations within a year or less
5. If you commit a felony or assault someone with your vehicle
6. If you are negligent in your driving and cause a death as a result of an accident
7. If you are given a DUI or have been driving while on illegal drugs

Preventing these things from happening is a good way to decrease the cost of your West Virginia auto insurance. If you've already got a mark or two on your record, just remember that your driving behavior today will impact your rates and insurability in the future.

Shop West Virginia Car Insurance Quotes

There is a growing market for car insurance companies, and they are getting more competitive every day. It is important to find a good, stable company who will provide your claims needs when you need it the most. It is easy to find the top insurance companies in the state with the free rate tool at the top of this page. With it you can compare different car insurance side by side for your convenience. Get your free West Virginia car insurance quotes today!