Many people worry if their auto insurance would cost more if they file a claim after an accident. There are a number of factors that are taken into account by the insurance companies when it comes to settling claims and determining the premium rates after the claim. Some insurers refuse to renew the policy outright. The premium is calculated based on the statistics of risk and if you cause an accident you will be considered a high risk driver and therefore the rate of your insurance may go up at the time of renewal.
When you are not responsible for the accident and hence not at fault, your insurance company can recover the losses from the other driver’s insurance. In a case like this, your insurance company will not raise your premium rate.
If you have caused the accident that means you are the at fault driver, your insurance company will definitely raise the rate of your auto insurance. The increase will be as high as 20 percent of your current rate. It will mostly be in relation to the severity of the accident. It you have caused limited repairable damage, your rate will increase slightly. But if the damage was severe, the insurance company may even refuse to renew your policy.
When you have collision coverage, you can claim the losses for the damage to your vehicle and for your bodily injury. Most of the states in the US will require drivers to have this coverage. With this coverage if you are involved in an accident, the first thing to do is to inform your auto insurance company about the accident with relevant details. The insurance company will have an insurance adjuster look into the details and will assess the damage and will let you know how much the insurance company will pay. They get a copy of the police report and do an inspection of your damaged vehicle taking pictures in some cases. They investigate the case based on the details you provide and their estimate of repairs to the vehicle.
Accident forgiveness can sometimes save you from getting penalized with increased auto insurance rates. If your insurance company feels that you are a good customer who does not make claims and with the understanding that yours is a rare, small occurrence that anyone may come across. But if you get involved in accidents frequently and make claims more often, your insurance has a good chance of getting cancelled.
It is true that not every claim that you make can increase your premium. For example if you make a claim on your comprehensive coverage it will not affect your premium rate. This is because you are not responsible for these damages such as theft or vandalism. Higher deductibles can set off the rise in premiums. So it is advisable to raise your deductible to get a lower premium rate. When your car is damaged from an accident without the involving the property of someone else, OTIPs claims counseling service representatives can help you in understanding how making a claim may affect your rate and how much deductible would be required.