Best Car Insurance in Washington

No, you cannot insure a car with a salvage title in Washington. Salvage vehicles are cars that have been declared a total loss, meaning they're too damaged to be worth repairing and cannot be driven legally. As a result, no legitimate car insurance company writes policies for them.

Although insurance companies in Washington won't insure a car with a current salvage title, you can get coverage if you have the vehicle repaired and inspected by a state-certified mechanic. If it's declared safe to drive, the DMV will issue the car a rebuilt title. Several insurance companies, including Allstate and Geico, sell policies to vehicles with a rebuilt title.

Keep in mind that some insurers will only sell liability insurance for rebuilt cars, meaning that they won't pay for any physical damage to the vehicle. Even if you are able to get collision and comprehensive insurance, your policy may not cover the full value of the car if it's totaled again.

Insurance companies in Washington have 45 working days to settle a claim after it is filed. Washington insurance companies also have specific timeframes in which they must acknowledge the claim and then decide whether or not to accept it, before paying out the final settlement.

Insurance Claim Timeline in Washington

• 10 working days to acknowledge the claim and send the policyholder instructions and paperwork. This includes proof-of-loss forms, which serve as a sworn statement from the policyholder about the scope of the damage or injuries.
• 15 working days to make a decision on the claim after receiving completed proof-of-loss forms.
• 20 working days to make the final payment if the claim is approved.

There are several factors that can affect exactly how long it takes for an insurance company to settle a claim. For example, claims involving serious or multiple injuries take longer to settle. Additionally, poor communication between the driver, insurance company, and insurance adjuster can slow down the process.

Still, you are entitled to an efficient settlement. If you think that your insurance company is violating the law or operating unethically, you can file a “bad faith” lawsuit, which may award you the original settlement amount with added interest and penalties.

Gap insurance in Washington works the same way as gap insurance in the rest of the U.S., by paying the balance remaining on a car loan or lease contract after a liability, comprehensive, or collision policy pays out the actual cash value of a totaled vehicle. The state of Washington doesn't require any driver to carry gap insurance. However, certain lenders in Washington may require customers to carry gap insurance – short for guaranteed asset (or auto) protection insurance – if they get a car loan or lease.

Dozens of companies, including banks and dealerships, offer gap insurance in Washington. While you should take your time deciding which one is right for you, you can also have confidence in the fact that gap insurance works the same way in Washington as in the rest of the country.

Best Gap Insurance Companies in Washington

• Esurance
• Nationwide
• The Hartford
• Progressive
• Allstate

It's worth noting that gap coverage is usually cheaper to purchase from an insurance company than a dealership. For more information, check out WalletHub's complete guide to gap insurance.

You can get car insurance discounts in Washington based on how you drive, the car you own, and your relationship with your insurance company. In Washington, car insurance companies are allowed to consider factors like employment, residential, and marital status when setting premiums. That means there are also discounts available for being married, owning a home, or being affiliated with certain employers or educational institutions.

Almost anyone can get a discount on car insurance in Washington because most insurance companies make it easy to qualify for a variety of savings. Washington insurers typically offer discounts that fall into one of three categories—policy discounts, driver discounts, and vehicle discounts.

Policy discounts typically reward customer behavior that is desirable to the insurance company. For example, most Washington drivers can save by registering for paperless billing or getting both home and auto policies from the same company. Driver discounts are available to Washington residents who are lower-risk to insure, like those with clean driving records. And vehicle discounts help drivers save if their car has certain safety features or anti-theft systems.

Car Insurance Discounts in Washington

Remember, discounts vary among different insurance companies, so it's always best to contact the provider directly to determine which discounts you qualify for.

Full coverage insurance in Washington is usually defined as a policy that provides more than the state's minimum liability coverage, which is 25000 in bodily injury coverage per person, up to 50000 per accident, and 10000 in property damage coverage. Full coverage in Washington also includes optional collision and comprehensive insurance. As a result, full coverage insurance costs an average of $1,343 per year in Washington, while a state minimum policy costs $652.

If you can't afford to repair or replace your car after an accident, collision and comprehensive are important coverage types—even if they're not required. Collision insurance covers repair or replacement costs if you are in an accident, drive into an object, or flip your car. Comprehensive insurance covers repair or replacement costs if your car is damaged by falling objects, natural disasters, floods, fires, theft, vandalism, or animals. Full coverage insurance costs an average of $1,343 per year in Washington, while a state minimum policy costs $652. Lenders usually require collision and comprehensive in addition to the insurance you must have under Washington law when you finance a car.

Most people should also choose higher liability coverage limits than what is required by Washington law. If you cause an accident and your liability limits don't cover the whole bill, you are still personally responsible for the rest. In the end, “full coverage” means having the right amount of coverage to protect your assets in a worst-case scenario.