When you realize that your car insurance has expired, the first thing you should do is to call the police. This will help document the incident in case you get sued, and it will protect your rights in the event of an accident. Your policy covers bodily injury and property damage, but it does not cover the other party’s insurance. Your state law does not require you to pay for other drivers’ damages, but you should still be careful and call your insurance provider to renew your policy.
The first step in renewing your car insurance is to determine the number of days between the expiry date and the current date. If the period is less than 90 days, you should be able to renew your policy. In some cases, however, you may not be able to renew your policy because of pre-existing damage to your car. In these cases, your insurer will send a surveyor to examine your car and determine whether or not you have pre-existing damages.
Once your policy expires, you may want to shop around for another one. While some providers may allow you to reinstate your policy, you may have to pay a penalty fee. Otherwise, you should look for another provider as soon as possible. A lapse in your car insurance will make you a higher risk for insurance companies. Make sure that your contact information is up-to-date. This will help them contact you if they need to.
Another way to keep your car insurance up-to-date is to set up an automatic payment plan. Many companies will give you the option of setting up automatic payments to avoid missing a payment. This will save you from having to remember to renew your coverage every year. In addition to this, auto-draft payment options will ensure that you don’t miss a payment. The insurance company will then send you an automatic renewal notice when it’s time for renewal.
While most car insurance policies are free to renew, if you wait longer than 90 days to do so, you may have to pay a penalty. The penalty is different for each insurer, but in most cases, the policy renewal fee is free. Another downside to renewing your car insurance policy is that you lose any accumulated no claim bonus. Your no claims bonus can be as much as 50% of your own-damage premium. However, the benefits of renewing your policy are more than worth it.
You can also save money by re-instating your auto insurance policy with a new company. By using an app such as Jerry, you can find the best insurance rates by comparing quotes from 55 top-rated insurers. You can then buy your new policy, cancel the old one, and save an average of $800 a year. If you’ve had your policy expire, you should contact an insurance company as soon as possible to renew it.