I was rear ended yesterday. Insurance question?

[snykymom]

I think Massachusetts is the same. Been a decades since my last claim and not begging to find out if anything's changed. OP should note that it doesn't take much to reach $1K in damage. What looks like a slight dent on a bumper could mean new bumper/shocks (if that's what those things that hold it on are called) and paint - easily over $1000 in this day. That's assuming there's no frame or side panel damage.

Nothing has changed in Massachusetts. You are required to report all insurance claims.

Additionally, it's a "no fault" state, so your insurance company is required to pay your claim (and, I believe, waive the deductible if there is another party involved - not a hit & run), and then go after the other party's insurance company. It's a process called "subrogation."

In MA, also, even if there is no subrogation because there is no other party involved, and your rates go up due to a single car accident, you can appeal your rate increase and often win. I was involved in an accident with a deer, and successfully appealed my rate increase.

Could it be that your insurance dealt with everything and paid to get your car fixed? If you had just reported the incident to your insurance company and aggressively pursued the other driver's insurance company, your insurance company wouldn't have lost anything and your rates probably wouldn't have gone up.

Not necessarily true. See above. Insurance is regulated by the individual states; what happens in NJ may be totally different than what happens in MA than what happens in CO. In MA, you can't report an accident "just for notification."

However, it is a standard clause in insurance contracts, accepted nationally, that all accidents, even those in which you are not at fault, must be reported in a timely basis.

 

[ZachnElli]

In my state, if you are not at fault, but your insurance company pays (uninsured for example) they can raise your rates. In other words, if your insurance pays out on your policy, regardless of who is at fault, they can raise your rates. In my state. Our un/underinsured works differently than other states tho, it only pays for your medical expenses if you are hit by an un/underinsured motorist. You'd have to have collision coverage to cover your car if you are hit by an uninsured motorist.

 

[IluvKingLouis]

As I mentioned, I did report this and was told my rates wouldn't go up, but I have heard that car insurance can increase if you are in accidents even if they're not your fault. Probability thing, even if it happens now and then and isn't your fault. I was rear ended 8 years ago while at a stop sign. Car behind me didn't understand why I didn't just roll through the stop since no one was coming.

Insurance rates don't always make sense. I moved from a residential area, where I parked on the street, to a high end apartment building in downtown Denver with an underground secure parking lot. My rates jumped because of the zip code. Yes, about 1 mile away the area got sketchy.

My downtown Denver move was 20 years ago....sorry if that reference muddied up the waters.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

Yeah i would call. They will contact her company anyways to handle the claims.

 

[rwdavis2]

Based on my family's experiences here in Maryland you can almost always count on the other party saying one thing at the scene and the opposite to the insurance company. Get all the info you can and take pictures at the scene if possible.
BD

 

[golfgal]

You're lucky. Mine was rasied, by alot.

In January, I was hit by a driver (who had a stop sign) and the accident caused $8000 in damage to my car (100% not my fault). My insurance company dealt with everything and got the car fixed. Just got my insurance renewal bill - my insurance went up $450 a year. My car wasn't even worth $8000 to begin with, and it now still has problems popping up, like broken engine mounts. The insurance won't fix anything else since the car had a prior accident and they just blame that. I would have been way ahead if they totalled the whole car.

So now I have a car with problems, and is hugely expensive to ensure (2004 Honda Civic). But of course, I live in NJ where insurance is the highest anywhere.

So yeah - in some states, your insurance goes through the roof for ANY accident. I see why the officer was telling to be cautious. I have a totally clean driving record, too. Only ticket I ever had was in 1987.

I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my car, since it's a money pit at this point with no end in sight.

Are you sure you weren't assessed some fault. Yes, the driver may have run a stop sign but you also have a responsibility to watch out for others on the road and if there was some way you could have avoided the accident you will be assessed some fault. If you were not assessed any fault, your rates can NOT be raised because of that accident. You mentioned a previous accident-were you partially at fault there? If so, you may have been giving forgiveness for the first one but if you were assessed some fault on the second one THAT caused your rates to go up.

Nothing has changed in Massachusetts. You are required to report all insurance claims.

Additionally, it's a "no fault" state, so your insurance company is required to pay your claim (and, I believe, waive the deductible if there is another party involved - not a hit & run), and then go after the other party's insurance company. It's a process called "subrogation."

In MA, also, even if there is no subrogation because there is no other party involved, and your rates go up due to a single car accident, you can appeal your rate increase and often win. I was involved in an accident with a deer, and successfully appealed my rate increase.

Not necessarily true. See above. Insurance is regulated by the individual states; what happens in NJ may be totally different than what happens in MA than what happens in CO. In MA, you can't report an accident "just for notification."

However, it is a standard clause in insurance contracts, accepted nationally, that all accidents, even those in which you are not at fault, must be reported in a timely basis.

Does your state have no-fault for collision? Most states no-fault is only for injuries.

In my state, if you are not at fault, but your insurance company pays (uninsured for example) they can raise your rates. In other words, if your insurance pays out on your policy, regardless of who is at fault, they can raise your rates. In my state. Our un/underinsured works differently than other states tho, it only pays for your medical expenses if you are hit by an un/underinsured motorist. You'd have to have collision coverage to cover your car if you are hit by an uninsured motorist.

Are you sure about this? It is VERY odd to have your rates increase for a not at fault accident. Most states only have medical coverage for un/underinsured too. Some states allow you to add collision to that coverage but not many.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Are you sure you weren't assessed some fault. Yes, the driver may have run a stop sign but you also have a responsibility to watch out for others on the road and if there was some way you could have avoided the accident you will be assessed some fault. If you were not assessed any fault, your rates can NOT be raised because of that accident. You mentioned a previous accident-were you partially at fault there? If so, you may have been giving forgiveness for the first one but if you were assessed some fault on the second one THAT caused your rates to go up.

Nope, the driver who hit me clearly had a stop sign pulled out right into me and smashed the front of my car. He had no damage, I had $8000. (Minivan vs. Honda Civic - Minivan wins). He got a ticket, I believe. The prior accident occurred years before and never involved my insurance (I bought the car used). But maybe they consider my car a total jinx or death trap or something (sure hasn't been a lucky car!) so they raised my rates.

Could it be that your insurance dealt with everything and paid to get your car fixed? If you had just reported the incident to your insurance company and aggressively pursued the other driver's insurance company, your insurance company wouldn't have lost anything and your rates probably wouldn't have gone up.

I think I just live in an insane insurance/tax happy state. My insurance took care of everything and did get reimbursed by the other driver's company. But my rates still went way up. This is just life in NJ I guess! The insurance company lost money on me this year, so they got to make it up now, I guess.

Thanks for the input! - I may call my insurance company and see what is going on. Think it's time to shop around.

 

[snykymom]

Does your state have no-fault for collision? Most states no-fault is only for injuries.

Yes, MA is no-fault for collision. You can only sue for injuries if your medical bills exceed $2000. (Most states are actually no-fault for collision, and the insurance companies subrogate the collision.)

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Definitely contact your insurance company. Generally you will work through them for repairs to your car and they will work to collect from the other person's insurance. The worst that can happen is you will have to pay your collision deductible up front and when they collect from the other person or company they will reimburse you the amount of the deductible you paid.

 

[Pembo]

Didn't read all the replies....I was hit at the beginning of September. I called my insurance company the next day. They told me they could process the claim and then go after the other parties insurance for reimbursement OR I could call the other ins co. I chose the first option and I was in a new vehicle within 2 weeks. Turns out the other guy lied about having insurance.

Call your insurance company...your rates will not go up.

 

[golfgal]

Yes, MA is no-fault for collision. You can only sue for injuries if your medical bills exceed $2000. (Most states are actually no-fault for collision, and the insurance companies subrogate the collision.)

Not really, most states do not have no-fault collision. Most states you can file a claim with your insurance company and they will work on the claim for you and subrogate but it isn't automatic like it is with no-fault for injuries. In a no-fault injury state your insurance company automatically pays all medical claims relating to the accident, the other company isn't involved until the claim is settled and they go after that at-fault company.

 

[overlyspoiled4sure]

I was involved in a 3-car rear-end collision in Dec 2009, just months shy of getting rid of my car when DH retired.

I was in the middle; we were stopped at a light & the kid behind me accidentally hit the gas. He crashed into me which in turn pushed me into the car ahead. I only had liability coverage as my car was a 1993 Grand Am & the kid who hit me wasn't exactly truthful when talking to the police.

His soon-to-be-ex-wife put the kibosh on the handling of the claim as she said HER car wasn't involved in any accident. Turns out he was getting a divorce & was driving someone elses car & he didn't have insurance.

Luckily I hadn't cashed the check from our insurance company; for some reason I had to give it back. Still not quite sure why but since the car had been totaled before because of hail I wasn't gonna push it.

The main thing is no one was hurt but boy, did the mail from lawyers ever pour in. Amazing!

 

[golfgal]

I was involved in a 3-car rear-end collision in Dec 2009, just months shy of getting rid of my car when DH retired.

I was in the middle; we were stopped at a light & the kid behind me accidentally hit the gas. He crashed into me which in turn pushed me into the car ahead. I only had liability coverage as my car was a 1993 Grand Am & the kid who hit me wasn't exactly truthful when talking to the police.

His soon-to-be-ex-wife put the kibosh on the handling of the claim as she said HER car wasn't involved in any accident. Turns out he was getting a divorce & was driving someone elses car & he didn't have insurance.

Luckily I hadn't cashed the check from our insurance company; for some reason I had to give it back. Still not quite sure why but since the car had been totaled before because of hail I wasn't gonna push it.

The main thing is no one was hurt but boy, did the mail from lawyers ever pour in. Amazing!

It sounds like they made the claim to the wrong insurance company. Whom ever's car he was driving should have been the company to pay. Didn't anyone seek out that other company or was that the person that wasn't insured?

 

[chloeloveless]

Moral of the story: It pays to be honest with your insurance company . When my claim was settled last year, it didn’t go on my record because of first accident forgiveness on my car insurance policy.