Filing an Auto Insurance Claim in Illinois

Reader’s Question:

My sister got into an accident here in Illinois and she’s okay now but too bad that she still has a loan on her car. She’s got collision coverage on her auto insurance and she already filed a claim to fix her car. Now, how can she get the payment for the repairs of her car?

Adrian

Mount Prospect, IL

If your sister still has a loan on her car, the procedures for first-party claims may cause an extra headache for her. This is because her auto insurance provider in Illinois would probably write out a check to her and her lender. So this would mean that she has to visit the bank or, even more annoying, mail the check to the finance company for their signature. No one can tell how much time it will consume for your sister to get back her fixed car; however, she has to expect to do some spadework. In case the lien holder’s name is also on the check, this would cause more trouble that they would have to inspect the car for them to endorse the check. For the check to be endorsed, your sister’s anticipation may probably take weeks.

Normally, your sister has to take the car to a dealership and have them sign a statement that the car has already been fixed. She should then send through mail the body shop’s bill and pictures of the repaired car to her lien holder. The bank or the lender would approve the check and return it so that your sister could pay for the repair. In case her lender is a local bank, she it may be necessary for a bank representative to inspect the car so that they will be assured that it was fixed.

Young Driver Auto Insurance In Illinois

Reader’s Question:

I am enjoying my life so much especially now that I will be having my own car soon. But before I get to that, I need to start thinking about my own car insurance here in Illinois. As a young driver, in what ways do you think I can be able to save money on my car insurance?

Gavyn

Aurora, IL

Normally, young adults are paying more for their auto insurance than those people who belong to a different age group. That is because young drivers are regarded as the highest risks on the road. But as a young adult, you could have lower car insurance premiums in Illinois by attending and completing a defensive driving class, getting higher deductibles, taking the public transportation from time to time, purchasing homeowner’s insurance through the same insurer or purchasing safer vehicle.

If you haven’t bought a car, make sure that it is equipped with airbags, antilock brakes and automatic seatbelts among other things. A lot of car insurance providers offer some kind of discounts for installing these safety devices in your car. In case you have already decided which car to buy, and if it’s a used older model, less valuable car, you may opt not to get comprehensive and collision coverage for your auto insurance. That is because older, less valuable vehicle would still have deductibles and in the event of an accident and your vehicle gets totaled, the amount you would have to shell out may be more than the value of the vehicle.

Auto Liability Insurance in Illinois Can Reduce Your Annual Premiums

Reader’s Question:

I’ve been doing my best to save on just about anything and now, I’ll focus on my auto insurance here in Illinois. Do you think it will be better for me to reduce my auto liability insurance just to save some money?

LaTrell

Evanston, IL

It may not be a good idea to reduce the liability limits on your auto insurance in Illinois. Most of the auto insurance premiums that you pay normally go toward the legally-mandated liability part of your auto insurance policy. If you’d like to save some money and lessen your auto liability limits, you would be accountable for any costs of damages over the limits of your auto insurance policy.

But even though other types of coverage are normally helpful, you may opt to eliminate them for you to have lower premiums on your auto insurance. If what you drive is a lower value, older model vehicle, you will not have any trouble paying for a new vehicle so you can just drop the comprehensive and collision coverage of your auto insurance policy. This way, you may be able to slash some dollar amount on your auto insurance premiums. And there is also one other way for you to be able to save money on your auto insurance. You may opt to agree in paying for a bigger portion of the damages in an accident by increasing your deductibles. The auto insurance provider will be assured that they won’t have to pay that much once you file a claim.

Cheaper Student Car Insurance in Illinois

Reader’s Question:

I plan to buy a used car for my son who is bound for college soon. What are the steps that we would have to take to get cheaper premiums for his car insurance here in Illinois?

Noel

Waukegan, IL

There are certain things that your son would have to do to lessen his car insurance rates in Waukegan, Illinois. The first step to take is to buy an older car model because insurance premiums are less expensive for older vehicles. He would also have to avoid modifying his vehicle because doing such may cause him to pay higher premiums. Also, since the car that you’ll purchase is a used one, it may be a less valuable car so he may opt not to get collision coverage. In addition, if he gets higher deductibles, that could help lessen his car insurance rate by as much as 30%.

You may also advise him to attend defensive-driving classes because auto insurance providers usually offer motorists a discount for completing a defensive-driving course. Another way of getting a discount is to drive less than the given average number of miles every year. So if he would be close to his school, he may be entitled for this kind of discount. Best of all, he would have to look around and do some research to get the best car insurance for his needs as premiums really differ from every insurance provider.