Top 5 Things to Know About No-Fault Insurance

Many people think that no-fault insurance means that it doesn’t matter who is at fault for the accident. Actually, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. While it is true that this type of insurance cuts down on lawsuits because insurance companies pay for damages no matter who is at fault in an accident, there is one major drawback: you will be penalized by your insurance company in the way of increased rates. Your accident will be a part of your record, and your premiums will go up.

Here are the top 5 things you need to know about no-fault insurance:

1. You don’t go through the insurance company of the other party involved in an accident. All of your payments will come directly from your own insurer. You will file your claim like you would any other insurance claim. This is why many states opt to make this type of coverage mandatory. It keeps many people from being able to take legal action against other drivers. Of course, if there is not enough coverage for damages, drivers may go after the drivers who are at fault in accidents to make up the difference. Not only does this free up the court systems, it also means that you will get your benefits much sooner than you would if there was more than one insurance company involved.
2. More than one person can be at fault in an accident. Sometimes accidents happen that are caused by carelessness on both parties involved. For instance, if two cars are parked across from each other in a parking lot and the drivers decide to both back out at the same time and collide, they have to share responsibility for the accident. Remember, even if you are only partially at fault in an accident, you will still be penalized by your insurance company. The only way your rates will not increase is if the other driver is 100% at fault.
3.  If you have had no-fault insurance for a certain period of time, usually more than five years, and you have made no claims and had no driving convictions you may not see an increase if you are at fault in an auto-accident. This is because you are considered to be a long-time, loyal customer. This will really depend on the insurance company that you deal with. You can check with your insurer to see if this is something they offer and if it applies to you and your no-fault insurance coverage.
4.  If you have had driving convictions or your insurance has been cancelled due to late or missing payments you will have difficulties finding an insurer to give you no-fault insurance. This is because insurance companies think of you as a high-risk driver. You may even have to deal with an insurance company that specifically deals with coverage for high-risk drivers.
5.  You may be eligible for discounts that will save you money on your no-fault insurance premiums. For instance, if you have a spotless driving record you will be considered a safe driver, and many insurance companies will offer a discount. To qualify for this, you must have a clean driver’s abstract for a specific time period, usually three or more years. Other discounts you can look into include military discounts, veterans’ discounts, student discounts, multi-policy discounts, and many others.

If you are a first-time car insurance buyer it is important that you ask a lot of questions and really do your research. This way you will know when agents are trying to sell you insurance products that you really don’t need. For instance, if you have an old junker of a car, you are not going to want to pay for collision or comprehensive insurance. These would cost more than the car is actually worth. The more you know, the better you will be able to get good deals on your insurance, including no-fault insurance.

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You need to shop around to make sure that you are going to be paying the lowest rates possible for your no-fault insurance premiums. It is important that you get as many free insurance quotes as possible so you can compare the various companies and what they have to offer in the way of products, services and rates.  Go online today to get many free quotes all from one convenient website. Give us your zip code and we will do the searching for you. We will provide you with free quotes from local and national insurers so you can comparison shop and get the best deals on no-fault insurance.