Accident Forgiveness And What It Really Means For Drivers
Your car insurance policy might have a whole series of regulations and stipulations you might not be aware of. For example, there are a series of accident types where you are completely at fault, and other accident types where the burden of responsibility lies with someone else. For this reason, it's imperative that you know the ins and outs of your insurance policy to know exactly what you should expect in the event of a car accident. One thing to take special note of is if you have accident forgiveness. Accident forgiveness is a part of a car insurance policy that grants you certain rights and protections in the event of a car accident. Understanding this concept may completely change how you view your options in an accident. Here is a summation of how accident forgiveness works.
Accident forgiveness is similar to what it sounds like. In the event of an accident, your insurance company will forgive the accident by adding a black mark to your record, or considering an increase to your existing premiums. Accident forgiveness will ultimately protect you from your own car insurance provider to prevent unwarranted punitive costs or rate changes on your account. Policies that lack accident forgiveness tend to punish their customers for accidents, regardless of who or what is at fault. This is highly unfair to drivers who were not at fault, but were punished with rate hikes regardless. A no fault or accident forgiveness plan will protect you from these punitive measures.
Of course, not all types of accidents will be considered the same or eligible for accident forgiveness. Certain accidents or conditions will bypass accident forgiveness. One such case is if any sort of alcohol or other judgment-altering substances was influencing you as the driver. In these cases, accident forgiveness almost certainly won't apply. This is true even if you are not at fault. If you were driving under the influence, regardless of the fact that any accident wasn't your fault, you can expect your car insurance policy to have rate changes or punitive fines in place very quickly. Also, accidents that were the result of gross negligence or reckless driving are also not going to be forgiven.
Ultimately, the accident forgiveness section of a car insurance policy is largely in place to protect drivers for light to moderate accidents, the kind where the damage to the vehicles or property is not too substantial. Any physical injuries would also need to be minor as well. Accident forgiveness is a feature that can make your life much easier in the event of a car accident, and anyone should consider applying it to their existing plan.
