Direct General Insurance: Auto-Focused Or Misnomer?

Direct Auto Insurance, formerly known as Direct General, is a non-standard insurance company that specializes in providing coverage for high-risk drivers. These include drivers with a history of accidents, driving while intoxicated, or other issues on their records. The company offers SR-22 coverage and caters to those who need minimum liability coverage to meet legal requirements. Direct Auto operates in 14 to 18 states across the US, including Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia. In addition to car insurance, the company also offers life insurance, motorcycle insurance, and more.

Direct Auto Insurance caters to high-risk drivers

Direct Auto Insurance, formerly known as Direct General, caters to high-risk drivers. The company specialises in providing coverage for drivers with issues on their records, such as accidents or driving under the influence. This includes offering SR-22 coverage, which is often required for high-risk drivers to regain their licenses. Direct Auto Insurance is a subsidiary of National General Holdings Corporation, which has been owned by Allstate since 2016.

Direct Auto Insurance operates in 14 to 18 states, including Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia. The company provides minimum liability coverage at cheaper-than-average rates, making it a good option for high-risk drivers seeking affordable basic coverage. However, as the coverage increases, the rates also increase, becoming more expensive than average.

Direct Auto Insurance offers various types of car insurance for high-risk drivers, including liability, comprehensive, and collision insurance. In addition to basic coverage, they provide extra coverage options such as rental reimbursement, towing, accidental death coverage, and individual term life insurance. They also offer specialty auto insurance like motorcycle insurance, commercial auto insurance, and Mexico auto insurance.

The company has received mixed reviews, with an average rating of 4.0/5 from users. While it offers competitive pricing, Direct Auto Insurance has a higher-than-average number of customer complaints, particularly regarding delays in claims and poor customer service. The company's NAIC rating is 10.92, indicating a higher volume of customer complaints relative to its size.

It offers SR-22 insurance

Direct Auto Insurance, formerly known as Direct General, advertises its willingness to work with drivers with issues on their records, such as a history of accidents or driving while intoxicated. This means the company offers SR-22 insurance, which is a certificate of financial responsibility that may be required to get your license back.

An SR-22 is not an actual "type" of insurance, but a form filed with your state to prove that your auto insurance policy meets the minimum liability coverage required by state law. It is a financial responsibility insurance certificate, which is a type of motor vehicle liability insurance. An SR-22 certificate serves as proof that a driver has the minimum required auto insurance coverage mandated by the state. This form is filed by the driver's insurance company directly with the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and serves as a guarantee that the driver will maintain the required insurance coverage for a specified period.

The SR-22 form is commonly required in many states for drivers who have been convicted of offenses such as DUI, driving without insurance, or multiple traffic violations. If your driving privilege has been suspended due to a car crash, you have received a second or subsequent conviction for no motor vehicle liability insurance, or a civil judgment has been filed against you, you are required to file an SR-22. You are required to maintain coverage for two years beginning from the date of the conviction that requires an SR-22, or in the case of a judgment against you due to a crash, two years from the date the judgment was rendered. An insurance card or policy will not be accepted in place of an SR-22.

It has a high volume of customer complaints

Direct Auto Insurance, a subsidiary of the Direct General Group, has a high volume of customer complaints. The company's NAIC rating of 10.92 indicates that it receives a higher number of customer complaints than the average competitor, relative to its size.

Direct Auto Insurance's customer complaints predominantly concern its mediocre customer service. Customers have reported issues with unreturned calls, rude and unprofessional employees, and unresolved policy issues. There are also complaints about the company's failure to reimburse customers in a timely manner and difficulties in reaching a human customer service representative by phone.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) data reveals that Direct Auto Insurance receives six times as many complaints as the average company of its size, with most complaints relating to delays in claims.

Despite the high volume of customer complaints, Direct Auto Insurance has an average rating of 4.0/5 from users. The company offers competitive pricing and a range of insurance options, including auto, life, health, and renters policies. However, its customer service and claim handling processes have led to a significant number of customer complaints.

Direct Auto offers basic and full-coverage car insurance

Direct Auto Insurance, formerly known as Direct General, offers both basic and full-coverage car insurance. The company specialises in providing insurance for "high-risk" drivers, including those with a history of accidents or driving while intoxicated. Direct Auto operates in 14 to 18 states across the US, including Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia.

Direct Auto offers minimum liability coverage at cheaper-than-average rates, making it an affordable option for high-risk drivers seeking basic insurance. However, as you add to your coverage, the price increases, and full-coverage car insurance from Direct Auto is more expensive compared to competitors.

The company provides several common add-on coverages, including liability, comprehensive, collision, and personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. Additionally, they offer extra coverage options such as rental reimbursement, towing, accidental death coverage, and individual term life insurance.

Direct Auto also provides a range of discounts that can help reduce the cost of your policy. These include safe driver discounts, good student discounts, senior citizen discounts, multi-car discounts, and prior coverage discounts, among others.

While Direct Auto caters to high-risk drivers with competitive pricing, it has received criticism for its poor customer service, with a higher-than-average number of complaints regarding delays in claims.

It provides several common add-on coverages

Direct Auto Insurance, formerly known as Direct General, offers several common add-on coverages in addition to basic coverage. These add-ons allow customers to customise their insurance plans to meet their specific needs. However, these extra coverages come at a higher cost. Here are some of the common add-on coverages provided by Direct Auto Insurance:

• Rental reimbursement: This covers the cost of a rental car if the insured vehicle is unusable due to damage caused by a covered loss.
• Towing: This covers the expenses for towing a broken-down car up to the limits selected by the insured.
• Accidental death coverage: This provides a $5,000 payout to the insured's beneficiaries in the event of death resulting from a covered accident.
• Individual term life insurance: This is an extra coverage option offered by Direct Auto Insurance.
• Accident medical expense: This is another extra coverage option offered by the company.
• Roadside assistance: Direct Auto Insurance offers this service, which typically includes towing services, battery jump-starts, flat tyre repair, and locksmith services.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: This is mandatory in some states and optional in others. It covers expenses related to an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver, including car repairs, towing, rental car service, and medical costs.
• Collision coverage: This is an optional coverage that reimburses the policyholder for damage to their car resulting from a collision with another vehicle or object when they are at fault.
• Comprehensive coverage: This optional coverage protects against theft and damage caused by incidents other than collisions, such as fire, flood, vandalism, and hail.
• Glass coverage: This includes no-deductible glass coverage for windshields, side windows, rear windows, and glass sunroofs. Supplemental glass coverage can also be purchased.

Frequently asked questions