Will my insurance rate increase after an uninsured motorist claim?

Someone damaged my car in a hit-and-run, resulting in around $1,000 in damage. I have uninsured motorist coverage, but how much would this increase my monthly bill if I were to file a claim? How long would the increased rate last?

I'm sorry to hear about the hit-and-run! That is a very frustrating situation. Uninsured motorist property damage coverage usually comes with a deductible, much like your collision coverage would. However, unlike collision coverage, an uninsured motorist property damage claim won't raise your premium as much as a collision claim out.

On average, a UIMP claim raises car insurance rates by approximately $98 per year.

In Maryland, this increase is smaller, usually adding up to an increase of $43 per year. Meanwhile, a collision (at-fault) claim could result in a $435 increase. Consider, however, that this is just an average. Your company might charge you more or less than this amount. To answer your last question, most companies will charge you for violations for as long as three years. So that $43 could stretch to $129 (plus your deductible).

As you likely know if you've had insurance for a while or made a claim in the past, whatever your deductible is will be the amount you have to pay out-of-pocket before your insurance will kick in to help. So, if your deductible is only $500, you'd pay half and the insurance would pay the other half of your $1,000 bill for repair. However, if your deductible is $1,000 or more, then you might consider just paying for the repairs yourself without filing a claim.

So, you've got two main options here:

1. File a claim, pay your deductible, and see a minor increase for the next few years, and have a claim on your insurance history. Depending on your deductible amount, you may not get much help from the insurance company to pay for the $1,000 worth of damage.
2. Pay for the $1,000 of repairs out of pocket and don't submit a claim. You then pay for the whole amount yourself, but you keep the claim off your record. If you've got a $1,000 deductible, you would still be paying this amount anyway.

I hope things get settled quickly and you're back on the road soon. Feel free to give our experienced agents a call at 888-255-4364 if you want to chat about uninsured motorist insurance, rental car coverage, or other potential policy changes in the future.