These days, all you have to do is watch a few minutes of television programming, or listen to a little bit of a radio broadcast, and you’re almost certain to hear an advertisement for Washington car insurance.
There are thousands of Washington car insurance companies clamoring for your business, but how do you know which ones will provide you with satisfactory customer service and the appropriate coverage for a price you can afford?
Read on to learn all about finding the best Washington auto insurance rates and then enter your zip above to start comparing Washington car insurance quotes!
The total number of people who are living in Washington is 6,724,540. This number is based on the United States of America 2010 Census. Sixty percent of Washington’s population lives in metropolitan Seattle area. The metropolitan area of Seattle consists of a lot of businesses and a lot of transportation methods for the most part.
The rest of the state mostly consists of various mountain ranges and various rainforests. Washington follows the tort system. This means that Washington makes sure that someone is found at fault for a vehicle accident. The person who is found to be at fault must pay for all of the damages that the accident caused.
Washington Car Insurance Requirements
If you plan to purchase car insurance in the state of Washington, your Washington car insurance has to include Washington’s minimum liability coverage. The minimum liability coverage for the state of Washington is as follows:
- There must be $25,000 of bodily injury or death insurance coverage for each person per accident.
- There has to be fifty thousand dollars of bodily injury or death insurance coverage for two people per accident.
- There has to be ten thousand dollars of insurance coverage for the damage to the property of others for each accident that occurs.
All cars must carry the minimum liability coverage in Washington. This includes rental cars. Rental cars only need to carry minimum liability coverage. This does not include collision coverage or comprehensive coverage. Without comprehensive car insurance coverage any damage that is done to the rental car will not be paid for by the insurance company.
Washington Car Insurance Laws
Every driver in the state of Washington must carry the minimum liability car insurance coverage. In addition, all drivers in the state of Washington have to carry proof of their insurance. There will be absolutely no exceptions. The driver’s insurance ID cards should include the following:
- The driver’s policy number
- The driver’s name
- The insurance policy’s effective dates and the insurance policy’s expiration dates
- The model of the insured car
- The make of the insured car
- The year of the insured car
- The name of the insurance company
If anyone is caught driving without car insurance in the state of Washington, he or she will have to pay a fine. This fine can be $450 or more. However, if the driver is caught providing incorrect information about insurance, he or she may be charged with a misdemeanor. If a driver lets his or her insurance to lapse, hefty fines may be charged. Higher car insurance rates will be charged as well. As soon as the insurance lapses, that driver will no longer have coverage and can be fined for the lack of coverage while driving.
It is legal for a driver to keep a household member from being a part of that driver’s car insurance policy.
Washington Car Insurance Companies
Some of the more popular car insurance companies include the Geico Casualty Company, the Universal Casualty Company, and the Allstate Insurance Company. Geico features around six million dollars in premium charges. Allstate features over one hundred million dollars in premium charges. The Universal Casualty Company features a little less than one million dollars in premium charges.
When choosing a car insurance company, it is extremely important that you try to find the best deal available. This is why you call different companies and ask about any discounts. You can also do some research online in order to find the best available deal. There are many online websites that allow you to compare various quotes from car insurance companies.
Washington Car Insurance Agencies
Recently the American Association for Justice decided to formulate an investigation on the Washington insurance agencies. In order to do this, the American Association for Justice reviewed the following:
- SEC Filings
- Court Documents
- FBI Car Insurance Records
- Consumer Complaints
- State Insurance Commissioner Investigations
These documents were reviewed so that the American Association for Justice could determine which insurance companies were the least popular among Washington citizens. This decision was also based on deceptive advertising, bad corporate policies, and unfair interactions with consumers. The least popular insurance companies include the following:
- Liberty Mutual
- Torchmark
- Farmers Insurance
- Conseco
Average Washington Car Insurance Rates
The average 2011 car insurance rate for the state of Washington is actually higher than the average of car insurance rates for 2009 and 2010. However, the average of car insurance rates for Washington has actually decreased over the past three years. In 2009, the average of car insurance for the state of Washington was $1,842. In 2010, the average car insurance for the state of Washington was $1,626. In 2011, the average of car insurance for the state of Washington was actually below the 2011 national average of car insurance. The average car insurance for 2011 in Washington was $1,360. The national car insurance average for 2011 was $1,433.
Washington Driving and Car Insurance Statistics
There are many different factors that influence the car insurance premiums in Washington. For example, the cost to fix vehicles is less expensive than the cost to fix vehicles in other states. Other factors include the following:
- The overall fatality rate of car accidents in Washington is lower than fatality rates
- The overall rate of vehicle theft in Washington is above the national average
- There is a higher percentage of drivers who are uninsured in Washington
The vehicle theft index rate is 355.3. This is per one hundred thousand people in Washington. Even though this is the highest in the country, it has actually been decreasing over the years. The rate of auto accidents in Washington is 7.35 per one hundred thousand people. This was in 2009.
In order to get the full idea about car insurance rates in Washington, you will have to look at various car insurance quotes. The best way to do this is to find a car insurance website who offers car insurance quotes without a biased opinion. Saving money on car insurance can be a possibility through the use of online quote comparison websites.
Evaluating Washington Car Insurance Companies
Washington car insurance comparison shopping leaves most people feeling tired and overwhelmed, but a simple checklist can help you keep your comparisons on track. Keep these things in mind when shopping for WA car insurance:
- Size and reputation of the company
- Customer satisfaction ratings and reviews
- How they handle their claims (online, in-person, 24/7)
- How their rates really stack up against the competition
How Much WA Car Insurance Do You Really Need?
For many people, WA car insurance can seem like a rather expensive necessity, adding hundreds of dollars on to their annual car maintenance budget. Although it might seem like it would be more convenient to just take your chances without it, it’s important to remember that it is illegal to operate a car in Washington without a minimum liability policy. In Washington, the minimum levels of coverage are:
- $25,000 for medical expenses necessary to address the injuries of a single occupant
- $50,000 to cover the combined medical expenses of all the vehicle’s additional passengers
- $10,000 to repair any property damage that is caused by the accident, including repairs to the victim’s vehicle
Ways to Keep the Cost of Your Washington Car Insurance Down
Once you’ve settled on a company and policy that will meet your Washington car insurance needs, you might think that you are safe to drive on the roads and highways in any way that you want, but this is a dangerous opinion. Getting speeding tickets, getting into an accident, or moving to a new zip code can all cause your rates to increase without your knowledge. Being a safe driver and thinking about location as a criterion for car insurance will help you to keep this increase from happening.
Finding Washington Car Insurance Quotes
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