I don’t usually drive to work but I need to drive for work since I drive a delivery truck. I got a DUI here in New Jersey and the state law required me SR22. What I don’t get is, I just drive for work, and how does the required insurance affects me since I don’t drive my own car? Am I not covered by the insurance coverage of my employer’s truck?

Jimmy

Irvington, NJ

New Jersey is a state that requires SR22, since you have been convicted of DUI then you should have DUI SR22 insurance. SR22 is a certificate that proves your financial responsibility. SR22 is only required by the Department of Motor Vehicles if you have for example failed to provide a proof to DMV that you have liability insurance. Another thing that SR22 is required is when you have been involved in an uninsured accident or you are reinstating your driving privileges following a DUI suspension. Be sure not to drive until an SR22 is filed to DMV especially when your driving privileges are suspended because you failed to get SR22 and got insurance after.

Your situation is different since you were not driving your own car when you had a DUI conviction. You are entitled to get SR22 Insurance for non-owners policy, the car you are driving may have an insurance coverage but this does not protect you. The SR22 insurance for non-owners protects you and the people who are harmed with an accident you had caused but not the vehicle. More often than not, only those people who have violations on the road or those who are in doubt if they can be responsible on the road are required to get SR22. DUI is one violation that can make your driving privileges suspended that you have to get SR22 insurance.

Up until now I have never really paid attention about car insurance, not until a friend got involved in a car accident here in Camden, New Jersey and found out that she doesn’t have full coverage, how do I know that I have a good car insurance policy?

Valerie

Camden, NJ

For some people, it would take the harsh reality of being involved (worse, at-fault) in a car accident, and realizing they have not been carrying adequate auto insurance to cover for all the damages caused, before seriously taking and paying attention on their insurance policies. You don’t have to be like that though. Knowing very well the scopes and limitations of your insurance policy you have there in Camden, New Jersey will be to your advantage.

Minimum Liability Coverage
Make sure you have at least the minimum state required liability coverage amount. Liability insurance, if you didn’t know, pays for any financial obligations you may be required to pay injured people or to repair/ replace damaged property in the event you caused a car accident.

For New Jersey, the minimum coverage amounts would be 15/30/5 which means a total of $15,000 payable to the injured person per accident, total of $30,000 payable to all parties injured in the car crash and $5,000 to pay for property damages. We would encourage you to get higher since you can be sued for bigger amounts in a car crash.

You should also know if you can afford to pay the agreed upon deductible if you do file a claim. You would want to grab your copy of the insurance policy and make sure you understand the fine print. Doing so will already tell you if your insurance policy is good enough.

How would I know the type of insurance that I need for my car here in New Jersey? Also, how does getting car insurance quotes online work?

Raffy

Bayonne, NJ

You have to think over real hard as to what exactly the type of insurance you need for your car in Bayonne, New Jersey. If you have a huge savings account, have your own real estate property or stocks or own a home, be sure that you have the appropriate liability insurance for protection of your assets. There are instances that the other party in an accident would try to file a lawsuit against you for ‘pain and suffering’ and if you don’t have proper liability insurance to pay off the cost of the lawsuit, you could see yourself forced to sell out a property to be able to come up with enough cash.

In getting car insurance quotes online, certain websites would allow you to obtain quotes from more than one insurer all at the same time. Be sure that you have all the information that you need so that obtaining online rate quotes for your car insurance would be faster. You need to have with you your license, car registration form and existing insurance form. Some insurance company would not give you quote immediately. Some would send them to you through email and some would have a representative who lives in your area call you on the phone.