How does one find the best West Virginia car insurance rates? Is it possible to find cheap West Virginia auto insurance even if you are considered a high risk driver? What are the minimum auto insurance coverage requirements in West Virginia? It is important for all WV residents to understand some of the basics of how auto insurance in West Virginia works. After all, if you could learn a few new things in just a few moments that could save you $25, $50, or even $100 a month on your WV car insurance premiums then why not?
The automobile insurance business has been getting larger in the last couple of years. Reasons for this include that the automobile market has been moving at incredible rates and that in today's world a huge amount of people have access to cars. What before was a valuable possession that not many people could afford has now become a necessity for people around the United States to go to places of their choice. In cities where public transportation is not very viable, residents are being forced to purchase cars just to get from place to place; and of course in rural areas a car or truck is simply necessary to live. With the increase in automobile on the roads of the country the accident ratio has also become larger. The more cars out there, the higher the chance that one of them will get into a wreck and because of this auto insurance companies have started to charge slightly higher rates.
In order to prevent people from driving without being able to pay for damages that accidents may cause and to ensure drivers out there that their assents and themselves can be safe after an accident, governments in each state mandate a minimum coverage for every driver. Most of the states require a person to choose proof of automobile insurance coverage before even getting the title for the vehicle and this way they can be certain that all the cars being driven have insurance. One thing to note is that the mandated coverage changes from state to state because not every single state of the nation has the same population, accident ratio, theft ratio, and weather. In addition to these there are twelve states in the U.S. that are labeled as "No Fault" which means that after an accident the insurance companies of both parties have to pay instead of only the party at fault.
The state of West Virginia just like any other state has its own regulations and mandated coverage for people that want to drive. According to the United States Census Bureau this state holds approximately 1,818,470 and its population has remained steady through the year 2007 with only a 0.6% increase. This means that not many people live in the state and not many people move into the state year in and year out. This Appalachian state has a lot of mountain area and the weather here can be a problem to any driver while out on the road. Because of these reason in 2003 West Virginia residents paid much higher premiums compared to the nation's average.
This is a perfect example stating that although the population of this state is not large and the amount of big cities is not many, they still are paying higher rates than other states. This is where automobile insurance can get a little confusing. Although this people live in rural areas that are not highly populated, they still have to cope with the weather conditions. A lot of this state is situated in mountainous terrain, and for this reason roads can be subject to landfall, freezing temperatures and high winds. For this state unfortunately, weather plays a big role in the high auto insurance rates.
West Virginia law states that a person driving a motor vehicle should have at least what they call 20/40/10 coverage. This means that a person must have $20,000 bodily injury per person and $40,000 bodily injury in total in the case of an accident. The last number in the coverage refers to the $10,000 mandated in property damage by the state in case of an accident. It is also good to note that West Virginia is NOT one of the twelve "No Fault" states and for this reason a driver must always be found at fault in the event of a car wreck. After the accident it is the driver at fault and his or her insurance company who pays the damages caused by the wreck.
Another mandated coverage that West Virginia has is that one of $20,000 bodily injury per person and $40,000 bodily injury in total after an accident, in the even that you get in a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver (the coverage is called Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist or UM/UIM). However, the state does not require Personal Injury Protection (PIP) which covers you and your passengers for any medical necessities after an accident. It is entirely up to the driver to get the coverage if they want to be covered.
The Mountain State has an average premium of over $1,000, but people can definitely bring it down with a few tips. If you want a lower coverage you must shop around either online or in person. If you are doing the shopping online you can visit various insurance company websites or you can go to an online insurance comparison webpage. If it's a comparison website you will only have to fill in your information once and you will receive quotes from many different companies.
On the other hand if you are doing the shopping in person make sure to visit at least three local agencies. Get a quote from each of them and look at the best price and service. You can also try to negotiate a price with the agent! Keep in mind that you are the customer and they are searching for people to join their ranks, so use that as your advantage.
Another thing you can do to lower the cost of your West Virginia car insurance policy is to reduce your deductible. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium will be. A reason for this is that if your deductible is high, you will have to pay a little more in the event of an accident. You paying more simply means that your insurance company will have to pay less, so you will be able to save money on your premiums. A common deductible is that of $500, but if you can afford a higher one than go for it and start paying less.
As you can see the insurance business in the state of West Virginia is a very good one...for the insurance companies! Although the state does not hold a high population and the required coverage is in the middle pack when compared to those of other states, the weather and other factors bring the insurance rate sky high. It is for this reason that you must always find ways to save some money when applying for WV automobile insurance.
The choice is all yours, if you are satisfied with paying a high premium then just make sure that you have the required coverage. If on the other hand you want to save some money; shop around, try to lower your deductible, and apply for discounts. The chances for a lower policy are out there and it is truly up to you to make it happen!
Be sure and compare West Virginia car insurance quotes from top companies side by side in order to find the best deal. Get started finding cheap car insurance rates today!
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