Hawaii Car Insurance
Hawaii is assuredly one of the most scenic states in the country. The island group is a popular destination for a lot of different people, and if you're planning on living in Hawaii, you'll definitely want to understand the Hawaii car insurance laws. Fortunately enough, this state isn't greatly different from a lot of other states' auto insurance car insurance requirements. And unfortunately, there are some states that really do have some laws and terms that are more difficult to meet than others. And not only that, you'll find that there are a plethora of different states that offer some very good insurance policies in the state of Hawaii, those that are as cost-effective as they are thorough in coverage.
Hawaii State Flag
Hawaii Car Insurance Laws
Like most states, Hawaii requires every driver on the road to have a sufficient amount of car insurance if you are going to remain on the road legally. The state law requires that your vehicle is insured throughout the motor vehicle registration period, and the owner of the vehicle must have an insurance identification card in your vehicle at all times. If not, you will be subject to tickets, fines, and possibly even jail time. Also, if you're not without the adequate amount of insurance on your car, you'll have to surrender the registration certificate and the license plates to your county director of finance. And as you'd expect, you won't be able to drive your vehicle if this happens.
Hawaii is what the law considers a no-fault state. This means that an insurance company will pay the bills for injuries and passengers injuries up to the personal injury protection (PIP) limit. The Hawaii car insurance laws say that you cannot be sued unless there are some serious injuries. The no-fault clause in the law applies to injuries, not to vehicles or property, so a driver that's at-fault in an accident is responsible for damages to the vehicle and property that a person may own. But in addition to the type of laws that the company has, it's extremely important that the person understands what the minimum limits are, as it helps them judge how much insurance that you may need.
But, as earlier stated, the mandatory coverage here isn't completely out of the normal here. Mandatory coverage includes a $20,000 per person/$40,000 per accident bodily injury liability and a $10,000 per occurrence property damage liability. These cover damages for the injured party when you are found at-fault in any given accident. Know that your insurance agent or company has to advise you as far as uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage options are. You have the right to decline the coverage in writing. But, you may purchase a minimum of $20,000 per person uninsured coverage to pay for death or serious injury if the driver is at fault and does not have insurance. The same applies when there's a hit and run accident. You can also purchase $20,000 per person underinsured motorist coverage if the driver doesn't have enough insurance.
Optional Coverage
In addition to the uninsured or underinsured coverage, you do have some other choices to make. While you don't have to buy collision or comprehensive Hawaii car insurance (or most other states), there is the option to purchase it. Other coverage options include: wage loss, alternative care (healing methods such as acupuncture, faith healing, and others), death benefits with coverage ranges from $25,000 to $100,000, funeral benefits ($2,000), PIP managed care and PIP deductible. While all of these things may not be necessary for your case, the more insurance that you have, the more prepared you'll be in the event that something happens.
Insurance Companies in Hawaii
Hawaii Car Insurance
Fortunately enough, there are more than a few options that you have in the state of Hawaii for car insurance. And while this is assuredly a state that doesn't have much as much coverage as some of the mainland states, you'll still find that the options here are numerous enough for you to receive a high level of service. Regardless of what your driving history may be, or what kind of car that you may drive you will definitely find something here that you definitely appreciate. Here are some of the more heralded insurance companies on the island, and while this does not represent all of the companies available, it's definitely a great place to start on your way to receiving a good policy:
* Allstate Insurance Kirk Paterson Agency
* ACW Insurance Group
* Carr's Insurance Agency LLC
* Dee Ann Lee, State Farm Insurance Agent
* Farmers Insurance Hawaii Company
* Geico Honolulu Office
* Gerald Yamane - Allstate Agent
* Hawaii Insurance Services
* Island Insurance Co. Ltd.,
* Larry Bolibol Insurance Agency
* Liberty Mutual - Aiea
* Matthew Cerizo Allstate Agent
* Paul MacDonald -- State Farm Insurance Agent
* Rachel Rooney State Farm Insurance
* The Royal Insurance Agency
* State Farm Insurance -- Mike Taniguchi
* Young Park State Farm Agency
Choosing the Right Level of Insurance
When you're looking for a potential Hawaii car insurance policy, it's always best to determine your own specific needs. For example, if you're driving a 15 year old vehicle, there's a very strong chance that you will not need the same level of coverage as the person who is driving a vehicle that's only 2 years old. The same goes for different vehicle types and models. With that being the case, it's always a good idea to talk about (at length) what your insurance needs may be with a potential company or agent. As they are experts in the industry, they'll be able to give you a good amount of information, and they'll be able to shed some light on how the process works.
But, the most important thing here is to procure some quotes. This way, you'll be able to eliminate many of the companies before you go out and start contacting them. It's something that should be used for any kind of insurance policy, not just for those people who are looking for a great auto insurance policy.
