AboutAnne Expertise Auto insurance claims regarding vehicle accidents, insurance coverages, auto policies, bodily injury claims, pain and suffering, injury settlements and negotiations.
Experience I am an adjuster for injury claims and property damage claims for over 5 years (still working there). I have worked for personal injury attorneys helping consumers get a fair treatment and I am passionate to help others with their vehicle accidents.
Education/Credentials B.A. Economics/ Political Science
Awards and Honors I was the top settling claims adjuster at the Insurance Company that I worked for.
I am the co writer of http://www.auto-insurance-claim-advice.com a website dedicated to help consumers document their auto claims and navigate the complex claim process.
Past/Present Clients I work with injury lawyers working on high dollar settlements and jury awards for pain and suffering see: Spokane Law Office.
Question I had an accident yesterday that was my fault; nobody was hurt. My car and the other are at different body shops and the question I had is will my insurance go up due to renting a car for 2 weeks until my car is finished at the body shop and that I had severe back pain and filled out forms at my chiropractor's office for State Farm to claim and pay. Will those additional claims make my premium go up more?
Answer Hello Birgit,
Usually when insurance carriers look at claims to asses premium, they look at the entire accident. They look at how much money it took them to pay for your damages (injuries, car, property damage, etc), and also how much money it takes to pay to other parties.
The more money they pay, the more likely your premium will go up. They however look at other factors that are also important. How bad was your accident? Was it a simple mistake or was it a alcohol related accident? They look at your claim history: Is this your first claim, or is it the third claim in three months?
Are you a good driver (meaning did you get a ticket), was it your fault, etc. State Farm also has their own system where they look at claims to help them identify how risky of a driver are you. They might look at things like credit scores, age, gender, etc. Not all insurance companies look at this.
My point is this: Your claim might not increase your rates at all, or if they do, it could be minimal (it all depends on the factors above). It is not an automatic thing for many insurance companies. If you pay for a policy, you should be able to use it when you need it. If they jack up the price, then most consumers will move on to the next carrier.
To answer specifically to your question, will your medical claim make your premium increase even more? The short answer is probably yes. They will take everything into account regarding this accident and look at other factors. This might increase your premium but it might not be as much as you think.
