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I have a question regarding auto insurance points. My mother has had several accidents in the past 3 years and the car insurance company has decided to give her insurance points and cancel her policy. I think they have attributed 7 points to her. However, she does not have any motor vehicle points. Could you please provide some guidance here on what are the auto insurance points and if she could possible be insured by another carrier? Thank you.

Insurance points are given by an insurance company for various things such as traffic violations and accidents. So while your mother may not have been cited for the accidents the insurance company's points system is different than the DMV's so they can apply points for an accident even if the DMV does not.

A company doesn't give insurance points, but rather their rating system has filed with the state for a point system to calculate rates and eligibility. The company's rating system assigns an insurance point for incidents. For example, 1 point for a minor speed, 4 points for an accident, 3 points for a major speed, etc. Rate and/or underwriting eligibility get determined the point calculation. Each company has a different rating (insurance point) system. So, 1 point with Company A isn't equivalent to 1 point with Company B.

If you get too many insurance points, have a bad driving record, too many claims many times an insurance company will decide to not renew your policy since they now see you as a high risk driver. State laws differ as to why an insurance company can non-renew your policy.

Insurance points, and other variables that are used by insurance companies to decide on your premium rates, vary by each different insurance company. They each have their own rules and guidelines concerning how insurance points play into the whole equation.

Your mother should shop around for insurance with other insurance carriers since insurance points systems and car insurance companies rating systems in general differ from one company to another. It may be that due to all the accidents she has had in the past 3 years that she will have to find insurance with a company that insures high risk drivers. In many states if you cannot find insurance with an insurance carrier in the voluntary market than you can looked in the assigned risk or ceded insurance market.

States want to make sure drivers can find insurance, so that they do not risk driving around uninsured, so they help set up assigned risk pool or JUA so that all drivers can be insured somehow though those with bad driving records will have to pay more.

Voluntary insurance is when you are able to obtain an auto insurance policy by shopping around for an insurer on your own. If you are considered high risk you may have difficulty acquiring insurance through this regular voluntary market.

Most states' insurance regulators work the insurance industry to make it possible for high risk drivers to acquire the required car insurance, so that the motorist does not drive around uninsured. Special insurance plans set up by various states can be known as JUA, residual, shared, ceded, assigned risk or involuntary markets.

Premium rates for a policy through an assigned risk or JUA insurer will normally be higher than policies that are obtained through a voluntary insurer. This is due to the fact that those unable to obtain insurance through the voluntary market are usually high risk drivers and thus will pay more than those categorized as a good, safe driver.

If your mother is unable to get insurance through the voluntary auto insurance market and needs consumer advice on finding insurance carriers that will accept her business she can contact her state's insurance regulator for help.

Your mother can get instant car insurance quotes here with us to see if any of our partners can fulfill her needs.

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This car insurance question was asked on 11/16/2008
This auto insurance answer was last updated on 11/18/2008
Ana requested this car insurance solution.
Rated 0 out of 10 based on 0 votes.
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