Will your auto insurance go up if you are in a car accident that is not your fault?

Whether it was your fault or not, your insurance premiums may still go up when you have made a claim on your insurance. A few U.S. states actually have laws that protect insured individuals from increases in insurance rates for car accidents that were not their fault. But as a general rule, car insurance companies will look at the accident records of individuals involved in crashes and may consider them to be more prone to accidents, thus the rate will increase upon the renewal period of their insurance policies. This is especially true if said individuals have already been involved in one or more accidents in the past. Specific factors that are involved in assessing the risk profile of a policyholder include frequency of car accidents, severity of accidents, the use of safety equipment devices, and driving records [such as traffic violations].

The number of times you have been involved in a car accident will increase your risk factor and may result in an increase in your rates come renewal time. The severity of the accident is also a factor because car insurance companies will take note of how much your accident[s] cost them. It may also affect the renewal itself; if you have been involved in at-fault accidents, your car insurance company may not offer you a renewal because you have become a high risk driver. If the incident was your first accident, your car insurance company may have a forgiveness policy and thereby offer to keep your current rates.