Car Accidents: How Long It Can Affect Your Premiums

After filing a claim and getting your car fixed, car owners are ready to forget about everything that’s happened. However, insurance companies hold onto these records for a lot longer than you’d want them to. Filing a claim also means being involved in an accident and depending on what happened, it can stay on your record for years. Here’s everything that you need to know.

Your Driving History

Having a notice for being involved in an accident can be on your driving records for years. The length of time that an accident can stay on your record depends on the violations that you made. In some states, minor violations can be kept on your record for three years while serious violations can stay up to 10 years.

Remember that even if you weren’t the one at fault during the accident, it will still appear on your record. This is why defensive driving is advised to keep a clean record.

How Does It Affect Your Premiums?

Lucky for you, your past incidents shouldn’t affect your car insurance premiums once your records are clear. Insurance companies differ when it comes to checking their customer’s driving history. The state that you are in also affects how many years companies are permitted to look into.

If You Weren’t at Fault

This is also something that varies from state to state as well as the insurance company that you choose. Some insurance companies do not let claims affect their client’s premiums if they were not at fault. You need to schedule a meeting with your insurance agent and ask them about their policies.

It All Depends on Your Situation

An increase in premium can last for about three up to five years depending on the situation and the rules with your insurance carrier. Some insurance companies reduce your surcharge annually if you weren’t involved in another accident. Every year that your driving history is clean, your premium goes down until it’s back to the original; amount.  

At Robert Nichols, we take pride in making sure our clients are well protected at prices they can afford. To learn more about how we can help you please contact our agency at (561) 406-6153 or Click Here to request a free quote.

​