Tips To Save Money On Car Insurance After An Accident
Unless your insurance company offers accident forgiveness insurance, you can expect your premiums to increase after you experience an accident that you caused and filed a claim on. Most insurance companies will raise premiums after accidents, simply because a driver's risk increases after filing a claim, but there are some ways you could save money on your policy after this happens, and here are some options you have.
Increase your deductible
One of the easiest ways to reduce the premiums you pay for car insurance is by increasing the deductible on your policy. The deductible is the set amount you would have to pay if you filed a claim on your policy. By increasing this amount, you will naturally decrease the cost for the policy, as higher deductibles are more beneficial for insurance companies. With a higher deductible, the insurance company pays less when the person files a claim on the policy, while the person filing the claim pays a little more for the work needed.
Lower your insurance coverage
The second thing you can do is lower or eliminate some of the insurance coverage you have. For example, if you currently have comprehensive coverage on your policy, you could remove this coverage. The result would be less coverage and lower rates. Additionally, you could eliminate or lower other types of coverage you have on your policy. Whenever you lower the coverage, the rates you pay should decrease.
Take a driver's education course
Some companies will offer discounts on policies for drivers who complete a driver's education course. This is because drivers who complete these programs often become safer, more defensive drivers. A safer driver has a lower risk of causing an accident and filing a claim. You can also ask your agent if there are any other programs you could complete for savings on your policy.
Drive safer
The other thing you should realize is that an accident claim you filed will eventually fall off your driving record. If you focus on driving more safely, abiding by speed limits, and working on keeping your record clean for the next few years, your accident claim will eventually fall off your record, which means your premiums will eventually decrease.
If you are overpaying for your car insurance, you could always shop around for quotes from other companies. To do this, contact an auto insurance company of your choice today to ask for a free quote.