I hit a deer, I need to file a claim, will my rates go up?
Hitting a deer, pig, horse, cow, or any animal, is considered
a Comprehensive or an Other than Collison claim, depending
on what state you are in. Comprehensive claims are not
considered at fault claims. Usually they are acts of
nature or unavoidable claims or accidents or even
thefts and acts of vandalism.
So if an accident is unavoidable my rates should not go
up right?
If only auto insurance was that simple. If there
is a history or trend of comprehensive or not at
fault claims on your driving record it is likely
your rates could be affected or the insurance
company could make you have a higher deductible.
If you have a couple of comprehensive claims
and one or two collision claims, add in a
towing and labor claim and even a glass windshield
claim, you're going to be considered a high
risk. You would not have a driving record
that they would be comfortable with. In an
extreme instance like this, yes, you can
pretty much count on your rates going up
or worse, getting dropped.
If you have one or two comprehensive claims
within a 2-3 year period then you should not
have anything to worry about.
Back to car insurance FAQs