pay your deductible and your premium may go up. However, in an at-fault state, if your insurance company determines the other driver caused the accident, either completely or in part, your insurermayget reimbursedby the other driver’s insurance. This is called subrogation . If this happens, be sure to ask if your deductible can be reimbursed, as well — this will depend on the insurance company and the coverage. In an at-fault state, if you decide to file your claimwith the other driver’s insurance, it’s quite possible you won’t have to pay for a deductible,
MAKE SURE YOUCANAFFORD THE DEDUCTIBLE Unfortunately, there are instances in which people have to pay their deductible even when the other driver is completely at fault. You can’t really protect against this in at- fault states because you don’t knowwhat coverage another driver will have — or if they’ll even have insurance at all. So, although a higher deductible will lower your premium, always be sure you’re able to actually pay, it should you need to.
although not guaranteed. However, if they determine you’re fully or partly at fault, the subrogation process will happen here, too— this time with their company being reimbursed by yours. The process is a little different in a no-fault state. As I’ve already talked about, there are differences within each state, but in general, your insurance company will pay damages directly to you without having to prove the other person was in any way at fault, saving you and your insurer a lot of time and energy. The downside is that you won’t get “pain and suffering” and
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