There were 15 fatal car accidents in West Palm Beach in 2017. Thousands of other accidents involved injuries and vehicle damage. Whether you were involved in a minor or serious collision, the incident can impact your insurance. Your rates could rise, which can cause a significant strain on your budget.
It’s important to realize that not all car accidents will cause a rate increase. Learn more about how your accident can impact your insurance and what you can do to prevent a rate increase.
How Insurance Changes After an Accident
In Florida, drivers must have some form of car insurance. If you’re involved in an accident, you need to make a claim with the insurance company. This can be a good thing, as it gets you money for your car damages, medical bills, and more.
But your claim could have a negative impact on your finances. If your claim is through your own insurance company, your rates could go up. In fact, it’s almost guaranteed that your rates will increase.
There’s a reason for the increase. By insuring you, the insurance company is taking a risk on you. They are trusting that you are a safe driver who has a low risk of being involved in an accident. But becoming involved in an accident gives them a reason not to trust you. To compensate for the increased risk of them paying out, they charge you more money.
Your rates won’t always increase after an accident. If you go through the other driver’s insurance company, your rates will remain the same. But you can only file a claim with the other company if you are not fully responsible for the accident.
What Does the No-Fault Law Mean for Your Insurance?
As you may already know, Florida has a no-fault law when it comes to car accidents. This means that you need to go through your own insurance company, even if you are not responsible for an accident.
However, this law isn’t as black and white as it seems. If someone else is liable for your accident and you have significant vehicle damage or injuries, you still have the potential to go through the other party’s insurance company.
So, it is true that you might need to rely on your own insurance company to pay for your accident. Doing so means you need to pay your deductible and you could see your car insurance rates rise.
If you do choose to go through the other driver’s insurance policy, you won’t see a rise in your own rates. Furthermore, you won’t be responsible for paying a deductible.
Can an Attorney Help?
If you don’t want to see a rise in your insurance rates, you should consider working with an attorney. Most insurance companies work hard to place blame on the claimant’s shoulders. They could manipulate your words to make it seem as if you are at-fault. In some cases, they may even have you believing it.
With an attorney guiding you, there’s a good chance you can take on the insurance company. If you can show that the other driver was responsible for the collision, you can go through the other driver’s insurance. Or, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against the other driver.
People struggle enough after car accidents. Adding an insurance increase to your troubles won’t help your situation. 1-800-Injured can connect you with an attorney who is qualified to take on your case.
