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Will Your Car Insurance Rates Change If You Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?

Will your car insurance rates go up or will you be dropped if you hire a car accident lawyer? So I’ve got a lot of hesitation from people who are in car accidents about going out and getting medical treatment or hiring a car accident lawyer to set up a claim because they’re concerned about their car insurance, either the rates going up or them being dropped completely. And so the purpose of this video is to explain what really happens on the ground, uh, after you’ve been in an accident and you’ve been injured due to no fault of your own. So in Florida, remember first off, every driver has PIP insurance. That is the no fault insurance and it is supposed to pay for medical bills and lost wages up to $10,000. So if you’re in a car accident and you have injuries and you have any question about whether you should get medical care, you have insurance available, specifically PIP insurance available to pay your medical bills.

Now the question of this video as well, okay, how does that factor into my car insurance rates? And I can tell you, I have not seen anyone that has used that car insurance, that PIP insurance and gone out and sought medical treatment, had their rates raised. So that’s an important factor. One time I have seen a client get their insurance dropped. Uh, and that is again, we’re talking about hundreds of cases. One time someone was dropped and it was a unique circumstance because my client had, I don’t know, it was like six or seven accidents, um, on the same insurance and it was a real low end cut rate company. Uh, and they went in and they just said enough is enough. And they dropped the guy, but they still paid for the PIP, but they dropped the guy. So what I said at the end of the day was, who cares if this company dropped you?

There are cut rate hack company in the first place. You shouldn’t have even been with them. Um, so get rid of them and get a legitimate mainstream company. And that’s what he did. And the rates were not any more expensive. So again, that’s my experience in terms of PIP insurance. It just does not raise your rates at all. All right, so then let’s talk about what happens if you hire a car accident lawyer to set up a claim. Will that raise your rates? Well, again, remember the way the insurance companies factors in your insurance rates as they look to see if you read fault for the accident. So no, you should not have your rates raised whatsoever. Now is that a guarantee? I have to say no, it’s not. Um, but that really only applies if you make a claim against your own uninsured motorist coverage.

So again, normal situation, you’re injured by someone else, they have bodily injury coverage, you make a claim, the bodily injury coverage pays out and the case is over. And that’s really, I don’t know, probably more than 75% of the cases. That scenario is what happens. But in the, in the infrequent cases that the cases where we do make claims against uninsured motorist, again, you’re considered not at fault, but if you have multiple uninsured motorist claims or if it’s a high down, high dollar value, uninsured motorist claims, there is a risk that your uninsured motorist coverage rates could be risen in the future. I’ve never seen it, I’ve never had a client report that back, but I think it’s a legitimate concern. But as far as making a claim for your injuries, you really should not make a decision not to hire a car accident lawyer or not to get treatment based on the fact that your rates might rise at some point in the future because the probability of it happening is so low and you’ve got dollars sitting there, uh, available to pay you through either the PIP or your uninsured motorist coverage.

Uh, to me it’s really a no brainer. You need to pursue the injury claim and then deal with the repercussions later. Again, if your rates do go up, get another company. I mean, it’s just a, there’s so much competition out there. I guarantee you’ll be able to find another company, another mainstream good company for the same or naughty or possibly lower rates. So, um, again, I hope that answers the question about whether your car insurance rates will rise or whether you’ll be dropped by your car insurance attorney or by your sharp car insurance company after a car accident. That is not your fault.

*The above has been transcribed by a third party service and has not been checked for accuracy

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident, then you should take the proper measures to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Contact St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys McQuaid & Douglas today and speak with an attorney. For over 60 years our firm has been successfully helping people who have been injured due to someone else’s carelessness. We have been nationally ranked for decades by US News and World Reports as a Tier 1 law firm, which is the highest ranking that can be received. Sean McQuaid and Jonathon Douglas have dedicated their careers to continuing the firms legacy of superior legal representation.

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Sean McQuaid and Jonathon Douglas were voted best personal injury attorneys in Saint Petersburg, Florida for 2019.

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