If you’ve been in a Philadelphia car accident, you probably have a lot of questions about what to do next. Should you file a claim with your auto insurance company? Will your rates go up? What will happen if you don’t file a claim? You may be hesitant to file a claim with your auto insurance company, and you can expect your policy rate to increase. However, there are consequences for not filing a claim when you’ve been involved in an accident.
Whenever you purchase an auto insurance policy, you usually sign a contractual agreement that indicates that you have to notify the insurance company of any kind of accident or other event that might lead to claim under the policy. If there is any chance at all that you or another person will seek payments from the insurance company, you have to notify them. Failure to do so can result in losing your policy.
You may also need to notify the insurance company in a particular way, as indicated by the policy or by state law. An example of this would be the requirement to notify the insurance company in writing or with a specific form. There will probably be a set time limit to notify the insurance company of the accident, and you’ll want to know exactly what you agreed to do in the event of an accident when you purchased the policy.
One major consequence of not filing a claim or notifying your insurance company of an accident is having your insurance policy cancelled. You can also be reused coverage for future medical treatment. If you have any questions about how and when to notify your insurance company of an accident or how to file a claim, contact a Philadelphia auto accident attorney.