When Tennessee residents are involved in a car accident, they may not think about what the collision might do to their insurance. A crash can easily raise a driver’s insurance premium, though, depending on the severity of the accident and whether he or she is considered at-fault.

Sometimes people may find that their car insurance rates go up after they are in an accident. Esurance says this is because someone’s driving record usually plays a role in setting his or her insurance premium. When people have a collision on their record, they are sometimes more likely to have a higher premium, particularly if the crash was serious and they were the driver who caused the accident. A crash typically does not raise someone’s rates permanently. People are usually able to get lower rates the longer they remain accident-free after the collision.

In some situations, people may find that their insurance is not affected by the collision. This can be the case when someone was not responsible or if there was no damage to any of the vehicles involved. People may also retain a low premium if they do not have prior collisions on their driving record. 

Sometimes people may be able to take steps to keep their rates from rising too much. According to Money Under 30,  people may want to consider enrolling in a driving class. This typically demonstrates that someone is committed to being a safe driver, and may sometimes result in lower rates. Additionally, some people may want to speak to their insurance company about an accident forgiveness clause, particularly if the collision was the first one they were involved in. People should also tell their insurance company about the crash after it occurs, as this demonstrates their responsibility and can sometimes keep them from paying higher costs later on.