In this video, we’re going to address the question of whether or not your insurance premiums in California would go up if you’re not at-fault in a car accident. My name is Matt Eason. I’ve been practicing personal injury law in California for 25 years. I’m regularly asked by clients what their insurance premiums are going to go up even if they were not at-fault.
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The fear of premiums going up is something that everybody is concerned about. For those of us that grew up before the computer age really took over, we lived in complete fear that our rates were going to go up if we were to make a claim on our insurance policy.
We have that fear because we didn’t understand how the rates were being calculated. We always assumed that someone behind the door somewhere was looking at our individual driving record and giving us a thumbs up or a thumbs down and assigning certain rates.
In the computer era, things are much different. Rates are being assigned based on the number of points on your record or lack thereof, length of driving history, your zip code, and your age. So as a practical matter, the fact that you made a claim on your policy should have no impact on your premiums unless you are at fault.
Where we see this problem most often is with uninsured motorist claims. Clients raised in the 80s are fearful of making a claim against their insurance policy for injuries caused by someone else who did not have insurance. The reality is, if you were not at fault, it’s illegal for them to raise your rates. It’s probably a crime of the century, and it would be a great class-action lawsuit. It’s not likely going to happen. You purchased insurance for a reason. If you’re not at fault, you should definitely use it.
My name again is Matt Eason. I’ve been practicing personal injury law here in Sacramento for over 25 years. If you’ve been involved in a car accident and have questions about insurance or your claims, I hope you consider reaching out to one of our Sacramento car accident attorneys. Our law firm is Eason & Tambornini. We are located at 1234 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Our phone number is 916-438-1819.
