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(314) 500-HURTHow long does a car accident stay on your insurance record? A car accident can stay on your driver’s record for three to seven years, depending on the severity of the offense. This period is a chance to prove yourself as a reliable driver.
Insurance providers consider various factors, including accident records, to determine the applicable rate. Insurers perceive drivers with numerous accident records as high-risk, so it makes sense for them to increase their rates after an accident.
Having an accident on an insurance record affects premiums – sometimes for a long time.
Consult our St. Louis car accident attorney from Burger Law to protect your rights after a crash and avoid unfair blame for the accident.
Practices vary from company to company regarding evaluating a driver’s record to set an insurance rate. Your premiums will likely increase when you claim against your insurance after an at-fault accident.
Although these increases vary from company to company, a driver can face a premium increase for three years. If violations are particularly bad, an insurance provider may decide against renewing an auto insurance policy.
It is always best to report an accident, even if you fear a potential insurance rate increase. Not reporting an accident, even with minor damage, carries additional risks. If you need to use your own insurance coverage weeks or months later, your insurer may make it difficult to ascertain your losses and issue compensation.
Most importantly, you should report a car accident to a law enforcement officer when necessary.
Under Missouri law, you must report an accident to the authorities within 30 days if:
Each driver in a car accident must file a crash report if the incident caused death, bodily injury, or property damage worth more than $1,500 when all drivers are insured. The threshold is $500 when any driver does not have insurance.
If a police officer doesn’t arrive at the scene, you must report the incident to Illinois state police within 10 days.
A few incidences may not result in a negative record on your insurance rate:
“I’ve dedicated my entire life to helping our clients receive full compensation for their injuries.”
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Gary Burger
Personal Injury Attorney
Car accidents can result in devastating consequences, such as physical injuries, medical bills, and loss of productivity. An accident record on your profile can hurt your chances of obtaining a reasonably priced auto insurance plan. An experienced attorney can investigate the cause of the accident to prevent you from being held liable for an accident that wasn’t your fault.
Burger Law is a legal team with over 100 years of combined experience, and we are ready to represent you. Contact us online or at (314) 500-HURT for a free case evaluation.
Founder | Injury Attorney
Gary Burger has dedicated his career to standing up against bullies. The founder and principal attorney of Burger Law | St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer has helped hundreds of Missouri and Illinois individuals and families recover th …
Years of experience: 30 years
Location: St. Louis, MO
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This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Gary Burger who has more than 30 years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury trial attorney. Gary’s robust legal knowledge is recognized by his peers as demonstrated by his industry awards and frequent Continuing Legal Education (CLE) lectures.
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