If you don\u2019t inform your insurance company, then they\u2019ll be caught off guard when the other driver contacts them to make a claim. Without all the facts in front of them, the insurance company may even side with the other driver, even if you\u2019re not at fault for the accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remember that your car insurance company is on your side. They don\u2019t want to pay out an insurance claim any more than you want to pay higher rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Show That the Accident Wasn\u2019t Your Fault<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The best way to avoid increasing your liability insurance premium after an accident is to prove that the accident wasn\u2019t your fault. Remember that fault is typically determined by insurance companies and sometimes by courts, not by the drivers. If the other driver insists that a car accident was your fault, your best option is to keep calm and avoid engaging with the other driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along with the usual post-accident checklist<\/a>, take as many photographs and document as much evidence as possible to prove your case. And no matter what, never apologize to the other driver; this could be used against you later as an admission of fault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re not at fault for a car accident, then the other driver can\u2019t make a claim against your liability insurance policy, and your insurance rates won\u2019t increase due to the accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind that both Washington and Oregon apply contributory negligence rules, which means that drivers can be found to be partially at fault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if another driver causes an accident by making an illegal turn, you may be partially at fault if you were speeding or didn\u2019t have your headlights on. Even so, your goal is to minimize, if not eliminate, your share of the fault for the accident to avoid higher insurance rates in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you are at fault for a car accident, you may be able to avoid the typical jump in your future car insurance rates<\/a>. Ask your insurance company if your policy includes accident forgiveness, which acts as a free pass when your insurance company calculates your insurance rate. In other words, the insurance company will simply ignore the accident as a factor in your next premium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If this is your first at-fault accident and your driving record is otherwise clean, then you may qualify for accident forgiveness. But if you\u2019ve been involved in multiple car accidents in the last few years (regardless of fault) or been issued speeding tickets, then you may not qualify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind as well that, while your insurance company won\u2019t consider your accident in the price of insurance, the car accident is still on your official driving record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One way to lower your car insurance rates, in general, is to lower your policy limits. The policy limit is the maximum amount that the car insurance company will pay for a covered event such as an at-fault accident: the lower your policy limits, the lower your insurance rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For liability insurance, just remember that your policy limits can\u2019t go below the legally required minimum insurance requirements. Below are the minimum auto liability insurance requirements in Washington<\/a> and Oregon<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n3. Ask if Your Policy Includes Accident Forgiveness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n4. Lower Your Policy Limits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n