Getting into a motor vehicle collision can have devastating financial repercussions. Even with quality health insurance coverage, you may have to cover ambulance fees, copays, and prescription drugs out of pocket.
Depending on the severity of any injuries, you may also have to miss a considerable amount of work, and the lost income could ultimately threaten your family’s financial security. Unfortunately, the indirect costs of getting into a car accident do not end once you recover and return to work.
As of 2017, just two states expressly prohibit car insurance providers from increasing the premiums of policyholders who file a claim following a crash for which they were not at fault. That means in 48 states—including Iowa—accident victims can expect their rates to increase on top of everything else.
If you were hurt in a motor vehicle collision with a drunk driver, you should not have to cover any of the resulting costs, whether direct or indirect. To discuss your case with a compassionate Cedar Rapids accident lawyer and determine the most strategic way to proceed, turn to Eells & Tronvold Law Offices, PLC.
Our legal team has the knowledge, resolve, and financial resources to take on even the largest car insurance providers. Visit our website at www.eellsandtronvold.com to learn more, or call (319) 393-1020 to schedule a free consultation.
Will My Car Insurance Increase If I’m Hit by a Drunk Driver in Iowa?
It goes without saying that your car insurance will most likely increase if you cause a drunk driving collision. In fact, as PennyGeeks explains, your yearly premiums could be several thousand dollars higher after such an accident. But even if you were not at-fault, you may still see an uptick in your auto insurance rates.
Because Iowa is a fault state when it comes to car crashes, accident victims have the opportunity to file a third-party claim with the liable motorist’s insurance provider following a drunk driving collision. If the impaired motorist has adequate coverage, you should be able to recover compensation for the damages incurred from his or her insurance provider, which means it will not affect your own rates.
If the drunk driver does not have adequate coverage and you end up filing a claim under your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, your premiums may eventually increase. Whether your rates rise following a not-at-fault collision depends on a variety of factors, including your driving record, claims history, and insurance provider.
For example, Progressive has been found in several studies to apply surcharges to every policy following an accident claim regardless of fault, except in cities where doing so is prohibited. State Farm, on the other hand, never increased rates following not-at-fault collisions. States that do not expressly prohibit surcharges following a not-at-fault crash may still limit how much the premium can increase or regulate it in some other way; however, these limitations do not protect consumers if the insurance adjuster refuses to acknowledge that the policyholder is not at fault. Proving the other party’s liability in a drunk driving accident may be fairly straightforward, especially if the impaired motorist is convicted, but proving fault following a collision with a distracted, drowsy, or reckless driver is a lot more challenging.
If you were hurt in a crash with a drunk driver but the insurance adjuster is disputing liability, turn to an accident attorney in Cedar Rapids. Contact Eells and Tronvold Law Offices, PLC today by calling (319) 393-1020 to schedule a free case evaluation. You can learn more about drunk driving accident claims in Iowa by visiting USAttorneys.com.