Did you know the average cost for comprehensive car insurance across the U.S. is $2,014 annually? Bankrate adds that the national average income is $68,852, which means that motorists spent an average of 2.93% of their income on vehicle insurance in 2023.
Whether paying more than average, just about average, or quite a bit less than average, you don’t want your insurer to drag its feet if you file a claim for an accident you were involved in. That’s one reason to avoid saying these 16 things during the claim process.
“It Was My Fault”
One of the worst things you can do is acknowledge fault. Determining fault is a complicated process. The police officer or other official at the scene of an accident will write up a report detailing the findings of their investigation and any observations they have about who was at fault.
But here’s the thing – your insurance company often has the right, after its independent investigation, to determine the at-fault party even if it contradicts the police report. Let the process play out without messing things up by saying it was your fault.
”I Didn’t See the Other Car”
It’s not a good idea to tell the insurer that you didn’t see the other car involved in the incident during the claim process.
That’s especially true if you rear-ended, T-boned, or side-swiped another vehicle. It could make it seem like you were distracted or otherwise negligent.
“I Wasn’t Paying Attention”
Telling the insurer you were not paying attention is a no-no. Even if you have a car with some self-driving functionality, you’re still the one in the driver’s seat. Paying attention is your duty. Saying you weren’t doing so is one way to have your claim dismissed.
“I Was Driving Too Fast”
Speeding played a role in 29% of traffic deaths in 2022. A total of 12,151 people died that year, which works out to an average of around 33 people a day. While speed limits might seem inconvenient or even arbitrary sometimes, the law is the law. You’ll do yourself a disservice if, during the claim process, you tell the insurer you were speeding at the time.
“I Could Have Avoided It”
If you’re emotional about the accident—and who can blame you?—you might be tempted to blurt out that you could have avoided it. But saying so will make it seem like you caused the accident to occur, which may or may not be accurate. Moreover, remember that you’re not at fault just because you didn’t perform effective evasive maneuvers.
“I Wasn’t Watching the Road Ahead”
Telling the insurer you weren’t watching the road is like admitting you were distracted or not paying attention. That’s one way to have the insurer deny your claim.
“I Didn’t Signal When I Turned”
Did you know that, according to a study published in 2020, 14.76% of car drivers over the previous three years experienced a collision caused by a failure to use turn signals? Telling your insurer that you were hit after failing to use your turn indicator could be a quick way to get your claim tossed out.
“I Didn’t Stop on Time”
Any driver who rear-ends another motorist is more likely than not the at-fault party. There may be exceptions, such as if someone purposefully slams on their brakes to cause an accident. But if you hit someone from behind, the odds are it’ll be your fault as far as the insurer is concerned.
If you say you failed to stop on time, that may suggest you didn’t leave enough space between you and the car you hit.
“I Don’t Know What Happened”
You must give an account of what happened. Telling the insurer you can’t could be seen as a red flag. Your insurer will need your version of events as part of the process to see who is at fault.
“I Didn’t Expect Them to Stop”
This excuse is similar to #8. It’s not something you should say to an insurer because it could make it look like the accident happened because you were following too closely behind another car.
“I Was Talking on the Phone”
You might think that saying you were on the phone because of a personal emergency will get you off the hook. But it won’t. If you need to talk on the phone, pull over to a safe place, turn off the car, and make or take a phone call. Otherwise, you’re only asking for trouble.
“I Don’t Know How Fast I Was Driving”
You need to know how fast you’re driving at all times. Telling your insurer that you have no clue could suggest you were careless and might have been traveling at an unsafe speed.
“I’m Not Hurt”
Don’t talk too fast. It’s not uncommon for someone involved in an accident to experience pain weeks or months after the incident. So, just because you may feel okay right after the collision doesn’t mean you should make a blanket statement too soon after.
It could hurt your case if you later experience issues and want to file a personal injury claim. See your doctor after a car accident to get checked out and adhere to their recommendations.
“The Other Driver Was Reckless”
It’s best not to make such statements unless you can prove it. That could sink your car insurance claim if you say something like this and it’s disproven. That’s especially true if it’s determined you were the reckless one and caused the accident.
“It’s Their Fault, Not Mine”
Rather than assigning blame, let the police report and the insurer’s investigation tell the story. You’ll have the opportunity to provide your account of what happened. However, adopting a defensive posture might make your insurer skeptical if they think you might be hiding something.
“I Didn’t Know They Were There Until It Was Too Late”
Saying that you didn’t know another driver was there until it was too late is like saying you weren’t paying attention to your surroundings unless the circumstances are that you could not otherwise have reasonably noticed the other driver, for example, if they were driving without lights at night on a poorly lit road. That’s an easy way to get your car insurance claim thrown out.
Avoid Saying the Wrong Thing When Filing a Claim After an Accident
When filing a car insurance claim, be careful about what comes out of your mouth. What you say can help or hinder your cause. You can be sure that uttering any of the 16 things mentioned above will increase the odds of your car insurance claim being tossed.
