Will My Insurance Go Up if It Was Someone Else Fault
If you weren't at fault, your insurer generally isn't supposed to raise your rate for that claim, but it still can happen, and your state and your insurer both play a part.
No, not if the fault is clearly established
When another driver is found at fault, your insurer typically pays your claim through their liability coverage or goes after their insurer to recover what it paid you. Because you didn't cause the accident, most insurers won't count it against you the way they would a claim you were responsible for.
This holds best when fault is clear and documented, like a police report that names the other driver or a quick admission from their insurer. It holds less well when fault is disputed, when you used your own collision coverage before the other side paid up, or when your insurer has other reasons to look at your file. What actually happens depends on your insurer's rules and sometimes on your state's rules about accident surcharges, so it's worth asking your agent directly how this particular claim will be handled.
How your insurer classifies the accident matters most
Insurers sort accidents into at-fault and not-at-fault before they decide whether a rate goes up. That sorting isn't always instant. If the other driver's insurer takes weeks to accept fault, your own insurer may have already filed the claim under your policy while the question is still open.
If you used your own collision coverage to get your car fixed quickly, rather than waiting on the other driver's insurer, some companies will still treat it as a claim on your record even after they're reimbursed. Ask your insurer whether a claim marked as not-at-fault, once fault is confirmed, gets corrected or removed from how they price your renewal.
Also ask what happens if fault is split, meaning both drivers are found partly responsible. In that case your insurer may treat the claim as partly your fault even if the other driver carried most of the blame, and the exact line depends on your state's fault rules.
Your state's rules on surcharges and your insurer's own policy both apply
Some states restrict or ban insurers from raising a driver's rate after an accident that was clearly someone else's fault. Other states leave that decision to the insurer. Because of this, two drivers in identical accidents in different states can see different results.
Even within a state that protects not-at-fault drivers, your rate can still rise for a separate reason, like reaching an age where your insurer reprices your policy, or your insurer adjusting rates across the board for drivers in your area. If your premium goes up around the same time as an accident, it's worth asking your insurer to say plainly whether the accident affected the price or whether something else did.
Check your state insurance department's website or ask your agent directly whether your state has a rule protecting not-at-fault drivers from surcharges. That answer will tell you more than guessing based on what happened to a friend in another state.
Questions people ask about this
How long does a not-at-fault accident stay on my record?
That depends on your insurer and your state, since there's no single rule that applies everywhere. Some insurers keep any accident on file for several years regardless of fault, mainly for their own reference, even if they don't use it to price your policy. Ask your insurer directly how long this accident will appear on your record and whether it affects pricing during that time.
Will my insurance drop me after an accident that wasn't my fault?
Insurers generally don't drop a driver over a single accident that was clearly someone else's fault, but policies can be reviewed for other reasons around the same time, like a lapse in payment or other claims on the record. If you're worried about non-renewal, ask your insurer what their policy is on claims that were not your fault.
Should I file through my own insurance or wait for the other driver's insurer to pay?
This depends on how quickly the other insurer is moving and how urgently you need repairs. Filing through your own collision coverage usually gets your car fixed faster, and your insurer then seeks reimbursement from the other driver's insurer. Ask your agent how your insurer treats a claim like this once reimbursement comes through, since some clear it from your record and others don't.
Does a not-at-fault accident affect my insurance score or claims history?
It can appear in your claims history even when it doesn't raise your premium, because insurers often log every claim regardless of fault. Whether that history affects future pricing varies by company. Ask your insurer whether they distinguish at-fault and not-at-fault claims when they look at your history for renewal.
What if the other driver's insurance denies fault?
If fault is disputed, your insurer may treat the claim as unresolved or even partly your responsibility until it's settled, which can affect your rate in the meantime. A police report, witness statements, or photos from the scene can help establish what happened. Ask your insurer what evidence they need to classify the claim as not-at-fault.
See what other insurers would charge you for the same coverage before you renew.
Pull up your police report or insurance claim file and check exactly how the accident was classified, at-fault, not-at-fault, or split. Call your insurer and ask them directly whether this claim affected your renewal price, and if so, how. Ask whether your state restricts surcharges for not-at-fault accidents, or check your state insurance department's website for that rule. If your renewal went up and you believe the accident wasn't the reason, ask your insurer to explain the increase in writing. Once you know where you stand, compare quotes from a few other insurers to see whether your current price still makes sense.
