Can you tell me if there a law in existence in Pennsylvania that says that car insurance companies can just cancel a car insurance policy because of accidents wherein you are at fault?

Mark

Philadelphia, PA

According to the Insurance Department of Pennsylvania car insurance companies are allowed to cancel or non-renew policies for certain reasons. The reason may be:

• If you have not paid your vehicle insurance policy premiums
• If you have been involved with 2 or more accidents of the same type within 36 months wherein you are found to be at fault
• If you have been convicted of DUI/DWI

If your car insurance providers cancel or do not renew your vehicle insurance policy that you purchased to drive in Pennsylvania, they should send you notification or a written form explaining why they are canceling or non renewing your vehicle insurance policy.

If however you disagree with your car insurance carrier’s decision or explanation, you can always send a letter to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department why you do not agree with the cancellation or non renewal of your vehicle insurance policy in Pennsylvania.

My sister was berating me why I bothered on getting comprehensive auto insurance. I have told her the many benefits and she seems convinced. She was even surprised to find out that my auto insurance  will pay for my car if it was stolen or totaled. She asked how much I’d get for the car if this happens and this was one question I can’t answer. How much, indeed?

Cynthia

Levittown PA

Hello, Cynthia, how nice of you to advocate the advantages of getting comprehensive auto insurance. Like your sister, there are many others who do not feel the need to get comprehensive auto insurance and end up having to suffer the effects of a vehicular accident or theft or similar unfortunate events involving the vehicle.

If your vehicle is totaled or stolen, your comprehensive auto insurance will pay you its fair market value in Pennsylvania . To get your car’s fair market value, you should look around and see how much a similar car would cost in PA. When you do this, be sure to factor in the make and model of your car, mileage, and how long it’s been used so that you can get a fairly accurate estimate of its fair market value. This will be a considerable sum but if it is still on loan, the amount will be somewhat less than your loan balance. This is the time for gap insurance to come in. Gap insurance will pay for that difference and will enable you to use your money in getting another car. If by any chance you are interested in gap insurance, you get free quotes from this site by entering your zip code.

Good that you have turned your sister into a believer. The world needs many others like you and your sister!

A: Although some states do have laws which mandate a grace period for late payments to auto insurance companies, in Pennsylvania there is no such law. Individual companies are able to shape their own policies which may or may not allow grace periods for DMV SR22 filing if not paid on time, and some do while others don’t. If you are worried about this happening in the future, you have a couple of solutions.

While shopping for companies, ask ahead of time if your DMV SR22 filing will be canceled if you make a payment a day or two late. Even if a company does offer a grace period, though, remember that repeated exploitation of the grace period could still lead to car insurance cancellation because it shows you to be irresponsible.

Another thing you can do is have your company set up an automatic debit from your bank account for your DMV SR22 filing payments. In any case, this will work if your problem is forgetfulness rather than lack of funds. If you do this, many companies will offer you a small discount on your premium as well.