You may be wondering if direct auto insurance right for you. Perhaps you're trying to cut costs these days and are evaluating your expenses for areas where you can trim your outgo and maximize your income. If that's the case, then shopping for better auto insurance deals is a wise move.
The business model is called 'direct' because the customer deals directly with the company without the intervention of an agent. The customer gives up the security of personal, on-going contact with the same human in exchange for lower rates. Like all insurance, the trade-off is a gamble. If your claims are straight forward, you may well be happy to deal with a direct auto insurance firm.
Direct auto insurance firms know that lower rates are the greatest appeal and it is the reason they operate primarily in jurisdictions with mandatory no-fault car insurance. Claims settlement and administration is much faster and simpler under no-fault bylaws. This allows direct insurance companies to eliminate the middleman, the insurance agent, and lower rates for the end user. Insurance companies under no-fault legislation, always pay their own clients damages (at least in theory). Civil cases are also limited.
Which party pays the cost for damages and losses incurred in a traffic accident is determined by a finding of fault provinces and states without no-fault legislation. As of spring, 2009, there are twelve states in the US with some form of no fault auto insurance; Massachusetts, Minnesota, Utah, California, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, New Jersey, Hawaii, Florida, Kansas, New York, and Michigan.
The no-fault states, which include the three states with highest populations (New York, California, Florida) enacted no fault legislation in part to simplify and speed payments to accident victims, and in part to reduce the number of time consuming cases in our bulging civil court system. Claims appraising becomes the only bottleneck and no-fault states ease that by instituting approved collision centers. In some jurisdictions the claim centers are government-run.
If there is an area in which one is vulnerable under direct auto insurance, it is in claims that are complicated by physical injury. The affects of a physical injury can continue throughout a person's life. With an agent, the consumer has someone who is familiar with their case and can navigate the insurance process on their behalf. And the agent is available to do that at the start of the injury, when the consumer needs the help the most. It simply is not possible for a call center to take the place of face-to-face contact.
All things considered, going with a direct auto insurance firm rather than through an insurance agent is a risk - reward question. If you are adequately covered, are the savings worth having to act as your own agent? That is the question you'll need to ask yourself, but then again, millions of satisfied customers have asked and answered that same question in the affirmative.
