Car Accident Property Damage How-to Guide: Will My Rates Go Up If I Make a Claim with My Own Insurance?

Introducing Car Accident Property Damage: How-to Guide, a comprehensive video series by Andrew Kryder, Chicago car accident attorney and founding partner of The Kryder Law Group, LLC Accident and Injury Lawyers. This guide addresses the concerns many vehicle owners have after their car is damaged in an at-fault accident with property damage and no bodily injuries.

The guide offers practical advice to help you navigate through the complexities of a car insurance claim, ensuring you understand your rights and options. This resource enables you to make that insurance claim and manage the post-accident procedures independently and effectively.

Will My Car Insurance Rates Increase When I Use My Own Insurance Coverage?

“After an accident happens” Andy opens, “you may have to use your own [car insurance policy]. That always creates the question in people’s minds, ‘Will my rates go up if I have to put this claim through my own insurance?'”

“And this is a hard question to answer, but I’m going to do my best.”

“The short answer is: maybe they will, maybe they won’t. It really just kind of depends on a lot of different factors. But as a general rule, think about it: ‘Do your rates normally go down, or do they normally go up little by little each year?'”

Drivers Who May See a Car Insurance Rate Increase

“Insurance is based on you as a driver. Are you a good driver or a bad driver?”

“[Drivers with a good driving record] get good rates—bad drivers, not so great. So at the end of the day, if this accident wasn’t your fault and you have to put a claim through your own car insurance companies, your rates probably aren’t going to go up because the insurance company looks at you as the same good driver that you were when they decided to insure you.”

Your Options for Selecting a Car Insurance Company

“I also tell clients,” he continues, “‘if your rate should go up, you’ve got a lot of different insurance provider choices out there. There’s a ton of different insurance companies that would probably be all too happy to insure you as a good driver with their company.'”

Using Your Auto Insurance

“So the bottom line is: don’t be afraid to use the insurance simply because you’re concerned that your rates may go up.”

“It’s a weird situation where people might pay [on their insurance policies for months and years—never having used them] and when it comes time to use the product that they’ve paid for, there’s this resistance or fear in doing so.”

“You’ve paid for the insurance. Use it. This is why you got insurance so that if something bad happened you’d have coverage.”