A recent study found that auto insurance premiums in Kansas City, Mo., are higher than other Missouri cities. The state as a whole, however, pays less than the national average.
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The study by The Zebra, a comprehensive comparison website for car insurance quotes, found auto insurance rates are “at an all-time high” in the United States with an increase by 20 percent since 2011. The Kansas City metro area has increased by 32 percent during the same time.
According to the report, Kansas City drivers on average currently pay $1,378 per year for their auto insurance. St. Louis drivers pay even more, with an average of $1,526, while Springfield’s average is $1,270.
Reason for the increase in Kansas City is likely due to Mother Nature and population growth.
“Kansas City has its fair share of severe weather year-round, tornadoes, wind, hail, flooding and ice,” according to the study. “The city’s population has crept up slightly, too, which (especially coupled with low gas prices) means more people on the roads, more traffic accidents and resultant claims that drive up rates in a given area.”
Comparing Kansas City to the nation as a whole depends on each state, as the Kansas City-area average can be less or equal to the national average.
According to the study, the average American in 2018 will pay $1,427 in 2018 for car insurance, which is the same for the state of Kansas, yet Missouri’s average annual premium is $1,334.
The study was conducted with insurance rating platform data and public rate filings from 2011 to late 2017, taking into account millions of insurance rates across every ZIP code in the nation “to explore trends for specific auto insurance rating factors.”
Factors considered included the driver’s age, gender, driving record, financial behaviors and vehicles using a base risk profile of a 30-year-old single male driving a 2013 Honda Accord EX with a good driving history. The study used coverage limits of $50,000 bodily injury liability per person/$100,000 bodily injury liability per accident/$50,000 property damage liability per accident and a $500 deductible for comprehensive and collision.
Other factors included in the study were state and local laws, population changes, uninsured drivers, fraud, crime rates and weather.
Mike Right, vice president of public affairs at AAA Missouri, said it’s no surprise premiums have risen since 2011 in the Kansas City area considering the factors.
“Urban areas normally pay higher prices than rural areas, for congestion, theft rates and value of property and so on,” Right said. “Nationwide, Missouri doesn’t have encumbrances as other states do …. Premiums in Missouri are generally low compared to other states.”
Lemon law attorneys help their clients by dealing directly with the manufacturer on the clients’ behalf, working to promptly resolve the issue and get their clients back on the road. Thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, attorneys can seek their fees directly from the manufacturer, meaning a client can obtain legal counsel without having to pay attorneys’ fees directly out of pocket.