Your car insurance premiums may place a hefty financial burden on you as it is. So the last thing you may want is for these premiums to only become more expensive in the aftermath of a car accident. This is especially true if you believe that the accident was due to little or no fault of your own. Continue reading to learn what circumstances might prompt your car insurance rate to increase and how an experienced Washington, D.C. car accident lawyer at Simeone & Miller, LLP can help minimize this.
What type of car insurance am I supposed to hold as a Washington, D.C. driver?
As a Washington, D.C. driver, you are required to carry no-fault insurance. This is so your car insurance provider may cover your medical bills and property repair bills, along with those of the other passengers in your vehicle, regardless of the fault you contributed to the accident. More specifically, bodily injury coverage of $25,000 per injured person or $50,000 per accident for two or more injured people is provided. Property damage coverage of $10,000 per accident is provided.
In addition, you must carry uninsured motorist coverage. This is so you may still achieve a full recovery even if the other driver does not carry insurance or otherwise does not have enough financial resources to compensate you. With this, uninsured motorist bodily injury and property damage coverage of $20,000 per person or $50,000 per accident is provided.
Lastly, you may also opt for optional insurance coverage plans, such as physical damage coverage, underinsured motorist coverage, and personal injury protection.
Under what circumstances might my car insurance rate increase?
Having a car insurance plan may prove helpful in the unfortunate event of an accident. However, in its aftermath, your provider may appear unsympathetic when raising your premiums. That is, after an at-fault accident in Washington, D.C., you may expect your car insurance rate to increase by approximately 31 percent.
Unfortunately, this spike may apply regardless of whether you only minorly contributed to the accident event. This is because your provider may perceive you as a “high-risk driver” after your involvement in an accident. And you must understand that the label as a high-risk driver goes hand-in-hand with car insurance rate increases.
For example, if you are pulled over and receive a traffic violation ticket (i.e., speeding or racing, distracted driving, etc.), then your insurance rate might inflate by approximately 14 percent. Or, if you are convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol: your insurance rate might inflate by approximately 48 percent.
Of note, these inflated rates might stand for as long as three to five years. This is all to say that you must consult a skilled Washington, D.C. auto accident lawyer before proceeding any further with your insurance claim. So please reach out to Simeone & Miller, LLP today.