It is common for people to feel hesitant to file a claim with their insurance company when they get into a car accident because they fear it will automatically increase their rates. Fortunately, this is not always the case. Determining auto insurance rates can be complicated and agents take many other factors into consideration besides your recent accident. Our Marietta auto accident lawyer discusses some of these factors below.
How Severe Was the Accident and How Much Money Did Your Claim Cost?
In a best-case scenario, you only scratched your vehicle or dented the fender. Because these claims will not cost your insurance company much money, your agent is not likely to increase your premium. However, it might consider charging you more for insurance if you totaled your vehicle or caused significant injuries to yourself or another party.
These are all situations to discuss with your insurance agent. You should contact a Marietta auto accident lawyer if another party caused you significant injuries and you are interested in pursuing a personal injury lawsuit.
Who Caused the Accident?
This question matters in Georgia because we are a fault state when it comes to auto accidents. That means the insurance company of the driver who caused the accident must pay damages to the other party as well as its own client. You may find no change to your premium rates if you had no responsibility for causing the accident with the other driver.
Your insurance provider is likely to increase your rates if you were the one who caused the accident. When doing so, your agent looks at the statistical probability of you getting into a similar or worse accident in the future. If you have received a rate increase that you do not feel is fair, you may want to discuss the situation with a Marietta auto accident lawyer.
How Much Does Your Insurance Company Value You as a Client?
You should not assume that your insurance company wants to write you off just because you had a car accident and filed a claim. Most people do experience at least a few car accidents in their lifetime. Instead of the single claim, your agent looks at how much value you bring to the insurance company overall. For example, your insurance company is less likely to increase your rates if you have been a client for years and have always had a safe driving record. You can expect the opposite if you had a poor driving record even before this most recent accident.
Contact a Marietta Auto Accident Lawyer to Discuss Your Case
As mentioned above, you have the right to work with a Marietta auto accident lawyer if the other party caused the accident and you suffered serious injuries as a result. The statute of limitations in Georgia gives you two years from the date of sustaining your injuries to initiate a personal injury lawsuit against the other party. You may also want to speak to an attorney if you feel your own insurance company is treating you unfairly. In either case, we invite you to contact Morrison & Hughes at (404) 689-2734 to schedule a free consultation with an accident attorney.
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