An independent 17-year-old driver falls into a void that puts driver and parents in a pickle.

Unfortunately, with a 17-year-old driver they are still considered a minor in the eyes of the law. Minors are not able to enter into legal contracts, like car insurance policies, without parental consent.

In the best case scenario, a parent would have to be on the insurance policy with the 17-year-old; even if they are not living in the same house as the parent. It is best to talk to your car insurance company directly as to the procedure they follow with an independent 17-year-old driver.

Getting your deductible back through the subrogation process can take a varied amount of time.

Question: After an at-fault accident, where the other party admitted fault, how long should it take to get my deductible back since our insurance company paid for the repairs?

Answer: Unfortunately, the only laws that are in place for subrogation is how long an insurance company has to file a subrogation claim with the other insurance company. How long it will take to get your deductible back from the other insurance company always varies due to the other insurance company’s policies, as well as fault being assigned.

If the other party has already admitted fault to their insurance company, getting your deductible back should not take long. However, subrogation goes through the following process which does take time:

1. Your insurance company has to send the subrogation claim to the other company.
2. The other insurance company has to accept the claim and investigate.
3. The other insurance company has to accept fault after their investigation and then approve payment.
4. Payment is sent to your insurance company.
5. Your insurance company finally sends you a check.

If your subrogation claim has been in process for a while, you need to contact your insurance company to find out the status.

Never trust that the insurance company has your DMV report information correct.

Q: In 2010 I was cited with a speeding ticket. I resolved the situation and it didn’t go on my MVD record. I went to the MVD last week and asked for a copy of my driving record. It isn’t listed, but when getting an insurance quote online it shows up. Should I contest it?

A: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, contest it! Never, ever assume that the insurance company has your information correct.

First, call and talk to the insurance company or your agent and find out how they got the information about your ticket in the first place. If it is not showing on your DMV (or MVD) report, you need to know where they got their information. If they give you any hassle about releasing that information, immediately ask to speak with a supervisor. This is your information, and you have a right to get the details.

If the supervisor refuses to release the information, as soon as you get off the phone with them call your state’s Department of Insurance or Insurance Commissioner’s office and file a complaint.

Second, be ready to provide a copy of the DMV report that shows that the ticket is not listed. If you can prove it is not on your record they cannot charge you for it.

Third, be prepared for reverse consequences. If you demand that they pull a more current DMV report on you and you have had additional activity on there since the last time they pulled a report, they will add that additional activity to your policy.

Fourth, when they do take off the ticket that is not showing on your report, make sure that they take it off all the way back to when they first started charging you for it. DO NOT settle for the ticket being taken off as of the first of the following month, this is theft as you did not owe this money in the first place.

A double listing for an accident on a CLUE report can be valid.

Q: Around March of 2011 I was involved in an at fault accident. I was in my mom’s car. Her policy didn’t have enough coverage, so my dad’s policy was involved and had to cover the rest. I’ve been checking out different companies and trying to get quotes. On the CLUE report it shows the date of the accident and has me at fault which is correct. For my dad’s report it also shows the date of the accident and has him not at fault. So, the question is, Should both of us be listed for that accident even though he personally wasn’t involved in the accident. If Yes, why? Should my dad try to get it removed from his report?

A: It sounds like the accident is listed just as it should be. You are listed as being the at-fault driver on your CLUE report because you were the one driving, and your dad is listed as not at fault because the claim was made on his insurance policy. I know he wasn’t involved in the accident itself, but his insurance policy was; which is why it is now showing up on his CLUE report.

Never settle for a claims adjuster’s first offer on the value of your vehicle.

When trying to settle on the amount of how much a vehicle is worth, never take the first offer given by a claims adjuster. They are not exactly in business to give money away, so don’t expect that this first offer is going to be fair.

First, find out how they arrived at their number. Also, be prepared with counter offers and verification (listings of the same vehicles in your area for sale) of why you are asking for the amount you are. If you feel that the adjuster is rejecting your request and verifications for unfair reasons, or they keep changing the criteria of what your verifications have to have to be valid (distance, make, year, model, etc.), ask to talk to their supervisor. If you get nowhere with that supervisor, ask to speak to the one above them.

Finally, if you still have no resolution and you aren’t getting anywhere, as long as you feel you have a reasonable amount you are asking for don’t be afraid to file a complaint with the state about the adjuster and the insurance company.