subject: Will An Accident Affect Insurance Rates [print this page] If you find yourself getting into a car accident, you should first of all be thankful if you are not hurt and are still able to drive your car. If the second thought that runs through your head is, will this accident affect insurance rates, then you should take a deep breath before you hear the answer.
The short answer is that yes, an accident does usually have an effect on what the insurance company will charge you, but this does not necessarily mean a drastic change. A lot of different factors are involved that will account for how much they charge you and for how long they will increase your price.
If the driver of the car that got into the accident was a teenager, then you can expect a very significant rise in cost from what was probably a very steep price to begin with. This is because teenagers are the most likely to get into a car crash, so they are kind of viewed by the insurance companies as driving on a trial basis and when they prove the company right by crashing, the rates will increase without a second thought.
If it was not a teen, but an adult driver, then the driving record will be taken into consideration. If you have a perfectly clean slate, with no tickets and no history of accidents and you have been driving for a significant amount of time, then the companies are much more likely to be kind to you.
They will see that in general, you are a safe driver and this is the first time you have ever caused them trouble. Of course, if this is not the case with you, then they are not as likely to be so forgiving because they will see that you did not learn your lesson the past time.
If the companies see instead a history filled with crashes and unsafe behavior, then not only will the rates increase, but they are likely to rise greatly. This is meant not only to teach the driver a lesson, but also to make them think twice before acting unsafely again because they know that they will not be able to afford the insurance.
Will an accident affect insurance rates? You can be sure that it will, but how much definitely depends on you and what you have done in the past to prove yourself a normally good, safe, and responsible driver.
by: Lance Thorington
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