The Virginia auto insurance laws are not as complex as one would think. They are there to protect any party from fraud and to make sure that contracts are respected and fulfilled. Both policy holders as well as insurer’s have certain rights but at the same time, have certain obligations as well. Here is a short overview on those rights and obligations given by the state of Virginia. Following them can bring from low premiums to sever fines and penalties.
– The first thing that you are obligated to do as a policyholder is to correctly fill your application form. Failing to do so and the insurance company have the right to revoke your policy and not pay you if you make a claim.
– In case your car coverage is canceled, the insurance company is obligated by law to send you a 15 day warning notice. That is if you fail to pay your premiums on time, otherwise the notice needs to be for 20 days.
– You are obligated to notify your insurer if some of your circumstances in your policy are changes such as you moved to a new address, you made some modifications on your car, etc. Failing to do so can cause the VA car insurance policy to be revoked.
– If you ask your insurer he needs to tell you about everything that affects your premiums, how they calculate your premiums, their discounts and any information about your coverage in general. You have the right to ask and they have the obligation to tell you everything they know.
– The insurance company is obligated by law to award you with a discount if you pass a defense driving course approved by the Virginia Motor Vehicles Commission.
– You are not obligated to tell your insurance agent about your old traffic violations and car accidents after a certain period. There is an act from 1974 that says that you can do so.
– No auto insurer that operates on the territory of Virginia can refuse selling you a car policy because of your ethnicity, gender or race.
– The policyholder has the right to change or cancel his policy at any given moment. Regardless your motivation to do so, you can do that only by providing proof of your new policy to your old insurer. The old insurer is obligated to refund you for your unused premium.
– The insurer is obligated to respond to your application or meeting request within five days.
– The policy holder has the right to ask if payments were made to other parties from his coverage. The insurer is obligated to respond to that and inform you correctly.
– The car owners in Virginia have the right to get free quotes for comparison. Even though that this is not regulated by any law but it does not mean that it should not be done. On the contrary, that is the best way to find affordable car insurance in Virginia.
