Six questions every driver should ask their carrier before filing — or before NOT filing. Most premium fear is fear of the unknown. The answers are knowable; you just have to ask.
Why ask: Most carriers surcharge based on a rolling lookback window. Knowing the window tells you when this incident stops mattering.
Most carriers look back 3–5 years for accidents and at-fault losses. Some look back 7 years for major violations (DUI, reckless). Ask your specific carrier — the answer varies by state and even by underwriter inside the same company.
Why ask: The carrier's internal fault determination is what drives the surcharge — not what the police report says, and not what you feel happened.
Ask for it in writing. Carriers categorize fault on a sliding scale (sometimes 0%, 50%, 100% — sometimes more granular). If you disagree, you can request a fault review and submit a police report, witness statements, or dash-cam footage.
Why ask: Customers are afraid premiums will go up. Premiums tend to go up anyway over time — what you want to know is whether THIS event accelerates that.
Not-at-fault claims generally don't raise your premium directly, but some carriers still flag them. At-fault claims almost always raise premium at next renewal. Comprehensive claims (weather, animal) are usually treated more leniently than collision claims.
Why ask: The surcharge has a defined runoff. Knowing the runoff tells you the total cost of the claim over time, not just at the next renewal.
Typically 3 years from the date of the loss, sometimes 5. The surcharge usually doesn't end abruptly — it tapers. Ask for the exact dollar impact in year 1, year 2, year 3.
Why ask: Accident forgiveness waives the first at-fault surcharge. Many customers have it through loyalty programs without realizing it.
Check your declarations page or call your agent. Some carriers grant it automatically after X years claim-free. Others sell it as a paid endorsement. Most carriers only forgive one claim — don't burn it on a small fender-bender.
Why ask: These are different databases. Your CLUE report (claims history) follows you across carriers; your MVR (driving record) is the state-level record of citations and points.
Insurance carriers look at both. The CLUE report shows every claim filed in the last 7 years even if it didn't result in a payout. Your MVR only shows citations, points, suspensions. Some not-at-fault situations appear on CLUE but not MVR. You can request a free CLUE report once a year at lexisnexis.com/clue.
Our claim-guidance tool factors in your fault status, deductible, and prior claims history to give you a recommendation tailored to your case.
Should I file a claim? →Insurance-premium math varies by carrier, state, policy form, and underwriter. Every answer above is a starting framework — your carrier's specific answer trumps anything written here.