Thursday, February 16, 2017

New York Times asks Why do some insurers charge drivers for accidents they did not cause?

This morning's New York Times uncover statistics regarding rising insurance premiums and explains why drivers who do not cause accidents are sometimes charged.

Accident Not Your Fault? Your Insurance May Still Go Up, Report Says----New York Times

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By ANN CARRNS FEB. 15, 2017

"The new study said that the average annual premium increase quoted drivers with a not-at-fault accident on their records ranged from $60 in Atlanta to more than $400 in Queens."

"Loretta Worters, a spokeswoman for the insurance group, cautioned that online rate quotes are merely a starting point. Insurers, she said, ultimately base auto policy rates on “much more information” than initially gathered through a quote requested via an insurer’s website."

" Why do some insurers charge drivers for accidents they did not cause?

Insurers say it often is not clear which driver is at fault. Ms. Worters said your insurer may incur costs, even if you are not at fault, as a result of “subrogation,” or the process of seeking payment from the other driver’s insurer. “Assigning fault in an accident is rarely a zero-sum process where one driver is 100 percent at fault whereas the other driver is zero percent at fault,” she said.

There is “a tendency to believe the other driver is always responsible as opposed to me, when the facts may indicate otherwise,” Mr. Snyder said."