Can You Avoid an Insurance Premium Increase After an Accident?

It’s one of the biggest fears drivers have after a car crash. Even if you’re not seriously hurt, the thought of your insurance premium skyrocketing for the next several years can be a major source of financial anxiety. This fear leads many people to wonder if there’s anything they can do to avoid it, or even if they should report the accident at all (which you always should).

So, can you avoid an insurance rate hike after an accident? The answer is a hopeful but qualified sometimes.

Whether your premium increases depends almost entirely on one single factor: who was at fault. In Washington State, the law and insurance regulations provide protections that can prevent your rates from going up in certain situations. Understanding these situations is key to protecting your driving record and your wallet.

Useful Information for You: In a Nutshell

• The Key Factor is Fault: If you are not at fault for the accident, your insurance company is generally prohibited from raising your rates for that claim.
• Proving You Weren’t At Fault is Crucial: This is why gathering evidence like a police report, photos, and witness statements is so important. You must prove the other driver’s negligence.
• Check for “Accident Forgiveness”: Some policies include an optional “accident forgiveness” benefit, which waives the rate increase for your first at-fault accident. You must have purchased this before the crash.
• Using PIP and UIM Shouldn’t Count Against You: Filing a claim for your no-fault Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or with your Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage is not an at-fault claim and should not trigger a premium hike.
• If You Were At Fault, Shop Around: If you were at fault, a rate increase is likely. Your best strategy is to shop for a new insurance policy after the claim is fully resolved, as other carriers may weigh the accident less heavily.

Your Strongest Shield: Proving You Were Not At Fault

This is the most important way to prevent a rate increase. In Washington, if you are not the legally responsible (at-fault) party, your insurer cannot penalize you with a surcharge for the accident.

This is why the actions you take at the scene are so critical. To protect yourself, you must be able to prove the other driver’s negligence with:

• A Favorable Police Report: An official report that cites the other driver for a traffic violation is your most powerful piece of evidence.
• Witness Statements: An independent witness who can corroborate your version of events.
• Photographic Evidence: Clear photos of the vehicle positions and damage that tell the story of the crash.

Without this evidence, the insurance companies may decide to assign partial fault to you (comparative fault), which could still trigger a rate increase.

Your “Get Out of Jail Free” Card: Accident Forgiveness

Accident forgiveness is an optional coverage that you can add to your policy, often as a reward for a long history of safe driving.

• How it works: This benefit typically means your insurance company will “forgive” your first at-fault accident and will not raise your rates at your next renewal.
• Check your policy: This is not an automatic feature. You must have specifically purchased this add-on before the accident happened. Review your policy declaration page or call your agent to see if you have it.

Using Your Own “No-Fault” Benefits

Many drivers are scared to use their own insurance benefits, fearing it will automatically raise their rates. This is not true for “no-fault” claims.

• PIP Claims: Using your Personal Injury Protection for medical bills is a no-fault claim. It should not impact your premium.
• UIM Claims: Using your Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage after being hit by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver is not an at-fault claim and should not be held against you.

What if You Were At Fault?

If you were clearly at fault for the accident, avoiding a rate increase is very difficult unless you have accident forgiveness. You should expect your premium to go up at your next policy renewal, and that increase will likely stay for three to five years.

Your best strategy in this situation is to maintain a clean driving record going forward and, once the claim is fully closed, to shop around for a new insurance policy. Different companies calculate risk differently, and another insurer may offer you a significantly better rate than your current company, even with the at-fault accident on your record.

The most effective way to protect your insurance rates is to protect yourself from a finding of fault. If you’ve been in an accident in the Tacoma area and fault is being disputed, search the Car Accident Lawyer Directory Tacoma. Compare profiles and find a trusted local attorney who can fight to prove the other driver’s negligence and protect your record.

References

• Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) – How auto insurance rates are set:Official guidance for consumers that explains that insurers “can’t add a surcharge for an accident or claim if you were not at fault.”https://www.insurance.wa.gov/how-auto-insurance-rates-are-set-and-whats-prohibited
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC 284-30-330) – Unfair claims settlement… practices defined:The state regulations that define unfair practices by insurers, which can be relevant if an insurer is improperly raising rates.https://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=284-30-330
• Washington State Legislature – RCW 48.30.330 – Prohibited practices:The state law that outlines prohibited practices for insurers, forming the basis for consumer protections.https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=48.30.330