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A Guide to Auto Insurance in West Virginia (WV)If you live in the state of West Virginia and intend to own and operate a motor vehicle, you must carry West Virginia auto insurance by law. Although you must meet the minimum state requirements, you do have the option to carry higher limits for your protection and the protection of anyone else who gets into an accident with you. The rate for insurance in West Virginia, in 2010 for average auto insurance premium was $1589. At the time, it was the 14th most expensive state to purchase insurance in (Louisiana being the most expensive at $2510, and Vermont the cheapest at $968.50). Penalties for not carrying the minimum levels of West Virginia auto insurance include suspension of your license and registration for 30 days, with a second offense resulting in a 90 day suspension. In order to get your license reinstated, you must pay a $100 fine and a $50 reinstatement fee. You must also show proof of automobile insurance. West Virginia conducts a random sample of the registered vehicles to determine whether they are insured or not to find people who do not have coverage. West Virginia auto insurance requirements state that you must have a minimum of $20,000 for injury or death of a single person in an accident and $40,000 for injuries and deaths in a single accident. You must have a minimum of $10,000 coverage for property damage, which covers any property that gets destroyed or damaged in an accident that you are deemed at-fault for. West Virginia auto insurance does not require that you carry uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Since West Virginia is a tort state, someone must me determined to be at-fault in an accident and they are responsible for paying for the costs incurred as a result of the accident. Many insurance companies recommend that you carry higher coverage than your state minimums in case you get into an accident with someone who does not have enough insurance or insurance at all. West Virginia auto insurance does allow you to exclude a certain member of your household from your policy, if you determine that they are a high risk individual. A household exclusion means that they are not covered under your policy, regardless of the circumstances so take care when considering who is allowed to drive your vehicle. An example might be someone who has previously had points on their driving licence, or recieved a driving ban. If you include these individuals on your auto insurance then you will almost certainly find that it will dramatically hike up the cost of the policy, and so you may want to think long and hard before covering them. The price of your West Virginia auto insurance can depend on your personal credit history. Insurance companies have the legal right to offer you an alternative rate if your credit is lower than ideal and limit the options that you have available for your policy. Other factors that impact your policy rate include where you live, age, gender, make and model of your vehicle and of course, your driving record and how long you have had your license. In truth there are so many different factors that can weigh in on the cost of insurance in West Virginia, that the best way to see how all the different elements stack up in terms of the final cost that you will have to pay is to get a selection of West Virgian Auto Insurance Quotes and see how they compare. You will find that different insurance companies will rate different factors as being more or less important, and that this will end up being reflected in the amount they wish to charge. It is therefore in your interests to see what is available from a range of companies, and then reach a judgement on which is best for you.
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