WASHINGTON — Maryland, D.C. and Virginia drivers get off easier than drivers in other states, but wherever you live, filing even a single auto insurance claim will sharply boost your annual premium.
“Rates really do increase a lot more than the average consumer would realize. It’s 41 percent nationwide after making just one claim,” says senior insurance analyst Laura Adams at Insurancequotes.com.
The premium rate hike in Maryland after filing a single claim is the lowest in the nation.
“Making one claim in Maryland will only increase the rate 22 percent,” Adams says.
Virginia and D.C. are also below the national average. The Insurancequotes study indicates premiums go up 36 percent in D.C. and more than 37 percent in Virginia after filing one claim.
Massachusetts tops the list at 76 percent.
Adams recommends that consumers consider the long-term financial impact of making a claim. Think twice, for example, about filing a claim if you dent the car while backing out of the garage.
“Only use your auto insurance when it’s really necessary. Never use it like a maintenance plan, because it will become too expensive for you. Really hold back and keep those claims for situations when you need to protect your finances,” she says.
Insurancequotes.com says the top five places with the highest insurance premium increases after one claim of more than $2,000 are:
- Massachusetts (76 percent)
- California (75 percent)
- New Jersey (62 percent)
- North Carolina (51 percent)
- Minnesota (47 percent)
