I got into an accident back in December in which the police determined I was not at fault. I just received a letter stating that my insurance rates are going up since I was involved in an "at fault accident". After calling insurance they told me that it does not matter whose fault it is, if I use my collision insurance my rates will go up. Everyone I have talked to has said the exact opposite and that rates will only go up if your determined to be at fault. Maybe I'm just a noob when it comes to insurance companies but can someone please explain??

 

My mom worked for an insurance company and said if your insurance has to pay anything out of pocket to you regardless whos at fault, it will go up.

 

i think any time you make a claim your rates go up. if you were not at fault, but somehow ended up using your insurance, i could understand why your rates went up.

i don't like the fact that it says in writing that the reason your rates are going up for an 'at fault accident', but they tell you differently on the phone. that sounds like bs.

 

cp 44 that is what I thought, insurance companies just screw you either way.

and Blackout that's exactly what I don't like either, if they agree with me on the phone that I was not at fault then why would they say that on the statement? that makes it so I can't switch insurance companies or anything either. The agent explained to me that no matter what that is what they call it if you use your insurance on an accident which just seems like they are trying to get me off their back and not fix it.

 

why did you use your insurance if you were not at fault?

 

possible that the other person didnt have insurance and he had to file a claim with his insurance to get item fixed

 

I had to use the insurance since I was the only car involved but the police determined that it was "VA fault for accident" they immediately shut down the road for 2 days after because it was covered in about 2in of water and ice. The officer explained to me that because the road was not taken care of properly and I had no way of seeing that since it was totally blind to me I was not at fault at all, yet I still had to use my insurance company to pay for the repairs

 

You guys are all wrong... OP you need to contact your insurance co and have them change it to a 'not at fault' colliison claim. You'll most likely have to bark up the chain to get it done correctly.

If you were declared not at fault then the other person was at fault... you can file with your insurance company and have them handle the claim for you, but they will then subrogate and go after the other insurance co. If they are successful in getting paid back by the other co you get your deductible back. If not, then you're out your deductible, but it's still a not at fault claim.

Your rates will only go up for an at fault collision claim or if the insurance company takes a state-wide rate adjustment for the risk profile you fall in to.

 

cobra- there was no other vehicle involved but I was assured by the police and my claim adjuster that I was not at fault when it happened

 

Unless the guy is in NC (and I'm sure other states like it) where both parties can be "not at fault," even though one party pays for the repairs of both cars. Not sure what the reasoning for this is according to the legislators, but the cops like it because it let's them avoid adding insult to injury with a ticket.