Mar 25, 2024
How Much Can Insurance Go Up in FL After A Car Accident?
Auto accidents can be devastating and overwhelming. In addition to worrying about injuries, lost earnings, and a totaled vehicle, one may also be concerned about increasing auto insurance premiums.
After any Miami auto accident, you should seek the legal guidance of our car accident attorneys in Miami at Nunez Law. Our attorneys can’t change your insurance premiums, but we can assist with filing an auto accident claim and fight for as much coverage for your losses as possible if you were not at fault.
Does Your Insurance Go Up If You Are Not At-Fault?
Florida has no fault insurance for auto accidents, meaning you rely on your own auto insurance for your initial medical bills and lost wages for the no fault accident. However, Florida’s no-fault law doesn’t mean fault for the accident won’t affect your rates; it can, in some instances.
The no fault state does have a law prohibiting insurance companies from hiking rates under certain conditions. Florida Statute 626.9541 states that Florida car insurance companies may not raise your premiums for liability, medical expenses, personal injury protection, or Collision coverage only because you were in a car accident.
But there’s an exception. If the insurance company determines you were significantly at fault, your auto insurance rates could change. They might not necessarily hike your premiums, but they could cancel a good driver discount, for example, even if you didn’t cause the accident. Also, if you have had three or more car accidents in three years, your auto insurance company could cancel your policy. This could happen even if you were not at-fault. Lest forget that insurance companies will get very creative in trying to find other non-prohibited ways to raise rates, even when you do not make a claim.
What Factors Affect Auto Rates In Florida?
Several factors determine how your auto insurance company decides on your rates. They are your driving history, credit score, age, claims history, vehicle value, and zip code. Generally, you will have higher insurance premiums if you are younger, have a lower credit score, and have made more claims in a zip code with higher risk.
Assuming you were not the at-fault driver, your insurance rates should not increase. However, it can still happen if the insurer can point to other factors in the area and/or the insurance market, so investigating the reason for the increase is critical.
How At-Fault Accidents Can Impact Insurance Premiums
Being in an at-fault accident will almost always increase your auto insurance premiums. According to one survey, being in an at-fault accident in Florida could hike your rates by 22% to 77%, depending on the insurance provider. However, if you were not at-fault for the accident, you should contact your insurance company if there is a rate increase and find out why (but first speak to a lawyer to make sure you do not delay your claim).
Why Hire Nunez Law To Help With An Insurance Claim
You don’t usually need a car accident attorney if you are facing higher insurance premiums. When your rates rise, looking for another insurance company is best. But if there is a question about fault in the crash, or you were hurt because of someone’s negligence, you should consider talking to a Miami personal injury lawyer.
A skilled lawyer is best suited to handling the many details of auto accident claims. For example, a car accident attorney knows how to properly value your claim and can often negotiate for more money than you could alone. Also, hiring a lawyer increases the chances that you will not be found substantially at fault, which may keep your insurance rates from rising.
Options If You Face Higher Car Insurance Costs After A Car Accident
If you were in an accident that caused your insurance rates to increase, you should start by contacting your insurance carrier to understand why the increase happened. If they think that you were substantially at fault for the accident and you disagree, it’s worth speaking to an auto accident attorney at Nunez Law. Our attorneys can review the matter if you were injured and have been wrongly blamed for an accident.
Next, get quotes from other insurance companies to see if you can get lower car insurance premiums with the same coverage. (Sidenote: Do not be fooled by phrases like “full coverage” as that means different things to different people; make sure you are explained each and every different type of coverage available.)
Contact A Personal Injury Lawyer In Miami Today
If you were in a car accident recently and suffered injuries, you should not handle the insurance company alone. You could receive additional compensation if you have an experienced attorney handling your auto insurance claim or personal injury claims.
Contact Nunez Law for a consultation about your car accident claim at (305) 444-4407. Lead Attorney Bobby Nunez will review your case and help determine if you were at-fault or not for the accident, and then he can explain your legal options. Attorney Nunez was recently named to the National Trial Association’s highly selective Top 40 Under 40 list, and he has an impressive record of insurance settlements and trial results in the past 10 years. Remember that at AccidentLawFirm.com, Our 5 Star Reviews Are No Accident.