August 12, 2010

How Auto Insurance Accident Inspectors Can Affect Your Premium

Do you know how auto accident inspectors can affect your premium? If you are shopping for auto insurance, you will be busy getting auto insurance quotes. However, if an accident were to occur after you buy your policy, you should also know how the auto insurance inspector can affect your premiums in the future.

Suppose you are just leaving a shopping center and suddenly a car pulls out from a side parking area and T-bones your passenger door. There were no stop signs for either of you, so who has the right of way? Who will the auto insurance inspector assign blame too? Well, the answer will depend on a few other factors other than there just not being a stop sign for either of you. For instance, if you were the one driving without parking spaces on each side of you, the fault will usually be the other driver, who had parking spaces on each side of their vehicle. There may be other factors.

Auto insurance quotes are important to help you decide which insurance company you will go with. However, there is more to getting auto insurance quotes to help you make your decision. Auto insurance inspectors can affect your premiums after an auto accident occurs. When you are in an accident you should immediately call the police and your insurance company. Your auto insurance company will assign a claims adjuster for your case. This auto insurance inspector will take a recorded statement from you and get a copy of the police report. A statement from the other party will be taken as well.

Once the insurance claims adjuster has gathered all the necessary information, they will make the determination of who was at fault for the accident. Determining who was at fault is their job. If the claims adjuster determines that you were at fault, your insurance policy will cover the damages for the other party's vehicle. If you have full coverage your loss will be covered as well. However, when you renew your auto policy, your premiums will be higher as a result.

When it is determined that you were the one responsible for the accident, your premiums can go up as much as 20 to 40 percent. In some states, your premiums can remain higher for 3 to 5 years. Auto insurance inspectors have an important role to play in accident loss claims. What they determine can affect the policy holder financially. The auto insurance inspector can also help you get your claim resolved and your vehicle fixed in a timely manner as well.