Why is this a concern? November is the peak time for car-vs.-deer collisions, and Virginia is one of the top ten states for such accidents. Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company handled more than 3,000 such claims last year, and the average loss per claim was over $2,100.

October and December are also high-traffic times of year for deer crossing, the Farm Bureau says.

Across the country, deer-related collisions result in about 150 (human) deaths and about $4.6 billion in auto insurance claims every year.

In Cheyenne, WY, the tennis ball-sized hail that pelted the city on July 11th caused an estimated $120 million in insured losses, including 4,600 homeowners insurance claims and 15,200 auto insurance claims, though that number is still preliminary.

Much of the damage to vehicles was related to the fact that the hailstorm struck during rush hour, the Association’s executive director, Carole Walker, told the press.

In Colorado, there were 12,600 homeowners claims and 17,200 auto insurance claims for an estimated total of $164.8 million in insured losses, due to a severe hailstorm in the Denver metropolitan area on July 13th.

Walker explained that the hail season in the Mile High State runs from mid-April through mid-August, though July is the peak month.

She also said that Colorado has seen more than $3 billion in insured damage due to hail in the last decade, with the most expensive season occurring in 2009 when there were three major storms causing $1 billion in damage.

Hail coverage is generally part of comprehensive coverage for auto insurance, and may be an additional rider for homeowners insurance.

• Driving History: Generally, in order to get get the best rates, you’ll need to have no points on your license in the last two years, though some insurance companies require that you have a perfect record for three years, and some even go back five.
• Mileage: Even if you aren’t purchasing a PAYD (pay-as-you-drive) policy, you can reduce what you pay for auto insurance if you drive fewer than 14,000 miles in a year. You’ll be asked to provide two certified odometer readings a few months apart to verify this, however. Note: some insurers only give this discount if your annual mileage doesn’t exceed 10,000 miles.
• Experience: Especially if you are shopping for specialty car insurance, your experience behind the wheel will save you money. In most cases, if you’ve been driving more than ten years, you’ll get lower insurance rates. In some cases, if you’ve had fifteen or more years of licensed driving experience, you’ll get an even better break. If you’re young, or haven’t been driving that long, you can take a defensive driving class to earn a discount.
• Gender: Because women are perceived as being safer drivers than men, they usually get better auto insurance rates, though this trend is changing.
• Marital Status: Again, a married person will pay less than an unmarried person for car insurance, if all else is equal, because marriage lends an air of stability, and reduces perceived risk.

These are just a few of the factors that help determine what your auto insurance premium will be. Others include the make and model of your car, whether it has any safety features or anti-theft devices, your zip code and your credit score. All insurance companies use slightly different calculations and give more or less weight to different factors, so it’s important that you always get multiple insurance quotes before committing to one company.

Specifically, rates in Alberta increased by 0.4 percent, which may seem stable but was actually a reaction to the percentage of customers with less than five years of driving experience having risen by 7.1 percent.

Car insurance rates in Ontario increased by 6.7 percent, this on top of an increase of 9.5 percent in the last quarter of 2010, but analysts think this may mean that prices are actually stabilizing from an artificial low.

In Quebec, the increase in auto insurance premiums was only 1.8 percent and is attributed to an increase in multiple driver and multiple vehicle policies.

To find the best deals on auto insurance in these trying economic times, we recommend comparison shopping, bundling auto and homeowners coverage with the same company, and asking for every available discount.

The limo product will be underwritten by ProTrans, Inc., and will include commercial automobile liability with maximum coverage limits of $1,500,000 and physical damage coverage with the lowest deductible being $1,000. This product is being targeted toward experienced limo drivers whose vehicles seat up to eight passengers, and who require reservations before providing transportation.

Independent insurance companies throughout California will be able to offer the coverage. It’s also available in parts of Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

In a statement to the press, Andrew Bender, director of National Business Development for Liberty Agency Underwriters said, “We’re excited to work with ProTrans to offer fleets the very best in limousine underwriting and coverages. Our organization is actively pursuing further national program opportunities to bring additional industries the level of expertise and service our Limousine Program delivers.”

Coverage for Insurance Agents Errors & Omissions, Nonprofit, Self-Storage, and Sports & Fitness products are available through Liberty Agency Underwriters, as well.

In the words of Representative Armando Walle (Houston), House Bills 2723 and 2724 would, “…help consumers fully understand the premium increases imposed by insurance companies and will give consumers information on how they can shop around.”

According to the website for the Texas House of Representatives, HB 2723 addresses accident and health insurance policies. The measure stipulates that insurers must give policyholders sixty days’ notice of rate increases, and the notification has to include the amount of the increase, and how consumers can file complaints. The measure also requires that rate increase information be post to the web, and consumers notified of where it can be found, what the justifications for the increase are, and what alternative coverage options may exist.

HB 2724, according to the same website, includes similar stipulations addressing residential property and personal automobile insurance. At the time of policy renewal, the policyholder’s existing insurer would be required to provide a side-by-side comparison of new and old rates, provide information on any changes in coverage, and offer resources on how consumers can shop around for different coverage. In addition, deductibles must be stated as a dollar amount, and not as a percentage of the policy’s total value.

The state of Arkansas recently considered legislation that would require rear seat passengers to wear seat belts as well, but it was voted down by the state House of Representatives last week.

Specifically, the Arkansas House voted 57-34 against the bill which had been sponsored by Representative Hank Wilkins (D – Pine Bluff). Among the concerns the House members had was the impact on insurance coverage, and whether or not enforcing such a requirement was a good use of police officers.

According to Wilkins, unbelted passengers in the back seat can fly forward and hit front seat passengers and drivers, or even be thrown from a vehicle in a crash.

Twenty members of the Oregon legislature want to change that. Specifically, they believe only bikers under the age of 21 should be required to wear helmets.

State Representative Andy Olson (R) sponsored a bill to relax motorcycle helmet law in just that way, House Bill 2141, because he feels that without helmets riders will be able to better see and hear what is around them on the road.

The measure is headed to the House Transportation and Economic Development Committee.

The law allows policyholders to request that their insurance company re-rate or re-price their homeowners or auto insurance policy once a year, if credit scores were used to price the policy when it was originally issued. If the customer’s current score qualifies them for a better rate, the insurer must lower the price, but if their credit score has worsened, the premiums cannot be increased.

The survey looked at data from several key homeowners and auto insurance providers, and found that there were more than 8,000 cases of discounts being given since the law went into effect on January 1, 2010. Those who requested re-rating received a collective discount of more than $800,000 – roughly $100/request.

Oregon Senator Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat from the Portland/Beaverton area who chaired the Senate Consumer Protection and Public Affairs Committee in the 2009 legislature which passed the law (then known as Senate Bill 377) said, “The law is working as intended and people who have improved their credit profiles are being rewarded with better rates.”

Credit scoring is used by many insurance companies to help determine whether or not to issue a policy, or how much to charge. Once a policy is purchased, however, insurers are prohibited from using credit scores to raise premiums. The new law, however, allows customers to request re-rating once a year.

The data for the DCBS survey came from the eleven insurers that write the bulk of Oregon’s homeowners/auto insurance business. Based on the numbers, the average policyholder with good credit and multiple policies (example: a home and two cars) could save several hundred dollars over the term of their policies, generally a year for homeowners insurance and six months for auto insurance. The survey also showed that about 30-50% of the policyholders who asked for rerating qualified for lower premiums, though there was a lot of variance between insurance companies.

The law does not require insurers to inform policyholders of their right to request their annual re-rating, though some insurance companies do so voluntarily.