Right after a car accident, all you’re worried about is if you are injured or if the car was damaged.
However, once things settle down, you might start to have questions.
One big question many people have is: will my insurance rates increase if someone hits me?
While in most cases, your insurance rates will increase if you are at fault, what happens when you aren’t or if you’re only partially at fault?
First Things First: Figure Out Who is At Fault
The most important thing you’ll want to know after an accident is who is at fault. It might seem clear at the scene of the accident, but don’t ever admit fault to the other driver until you’ve spoken to an attorney.
There could be extenuating factors that you’re not aware of that affect who is at fault.
Illinois is a Traditional Fault Based System
The state of Illinois adheres to a traditional fault-based system, also called a tort liability system.
This means in Illinois, drivers who cause accidents are responsible for paying for them.
Under a fault-based system, it’s important that car accidents are comprehensively investigated. Fault for an accident is not always clear. Two or more parties may actually share the blame (fault) for causing a single crash.
Additionally, Illinois is a comparative fault state, meaning that you could be at fault for part of the accident if you were negligent in some way as well—even if the other driver is mostly at fault.
Once it is determined who is at fault, you should have a better idea if your insurance rates will increase after the accident.
If you’re at fault or partially at fault, it most likely will. If you aren’t at fault, it may not. However, there are certain instances where it might.
Situations Where Insurance Rates Increase After an Accident
Below are a few situations where you might find that your insurance rate goes up even though you weren’t the one at fault in your car accident:
- If you are involved in a hit and run accident and you are not at fault, your insurance provider might still raise your rates.
- Some insurance providers automatically raise your rates after any accident is reported to them. (Hint: shop for a new insurance provider if that’s the case!)
- If you were partially at fault in an accident, you may see your rates rise. This is to be expected and is common practice.
- Additionally, if you are in a lot of accidents, even if you weren’t at fault in this one, your insurance provider might still raise your rates because you are a bigger risk to insure for them.
Accident Forgiveness
A few insurance providers offer a service called “Accident Forgiveness” where even if you are at fault in an accident, your insurance provider will “forgive” it and not raise your rates.
It depends on the specific insurance company what will qualify, but normally it applies if you’ve never had another accident before this one.
Need Help After a Car Accident? Contact VanDerGinst Law
At VanDerGinst Law, our team of knowledgeable attorneys has over 30 years’ experience in just personal injury claims.
We know dealing with the insurance company is a pain—so we do it all for you. All you need to do after your accident is recover and rest.
Contact us at 800-797-5391 or reach us online for a free consultation.
We’d be honored to help.
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The information contained on this website is presented by VanDerGinst Law P.C. It is not intended nor should it be construed as professional legal advice. The information is general in nature about the Firm, the scope of services we offer, and our community outreach, it is not legal advice. Please contact us by phone, email, mail, or via this website for inquiries. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please contact a personal injury attorney for a consultation regarding your situation. This website is not intended to solicit clients outside the State of Iowa and/or the State of Illinois.