Every year, there are more than six million car accidents in the US. Almost a third of them hurt or kill someone. No two accidents are exactly alike, but some fact patterns recur more often than others. Back-end collisions, which make up about 29% of all accidents, are by far the most common type of car accident.
While there are some exceptions, in most rear-end collisions, the driver who hits the car in front of them is at fault. This means that the driver’s insurance company could be financially responsible for any damage done. If someone hits you from behind, whose insurance do you call? Let’s talk about what you should do after a rear-end accident.
Getting Rear-Ended: A Guide on Whose Insurance to Call
Getting rear-ended can be a jarring experience. Even if the collision seems minor, your head can whip back and forth, straining your neck. And seeing your back bumper crushed is upsetting and inconvenient.
Once you’ve made sure no one is injured a logical question arises who do I call about this accident? Do I contact my insurance provider or the other driver’s?
I’ve been rear-ended a couple of times over the years Those experiences taught me what steps to take after a rear-end collision to get my car fixed quickly and fairly
In this guide, I’ll walk through exactly whose insurance you need to call when someone hits you from behind. I’ll also cover:
- What information to exchange at the scene
- Steps to take before calling insurance
- How filing a claim affects your rates
- What compensation you’re entitled to
- And more…
Let’s get started!
Call Your Insurance Provider First
If another vehicle rear-ends you, the first call you need to make is to your own car insurance company. Never rely solely on the other party’s insurer.
Here are some key reasons it’s critical to contact your provider right away:
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They can immediately assign an adjuster and start your claim process. The sooner this happens, the faster your car can get fixed.
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Prompt reporting creates a record of the incident, in case the other driver later denies fault or changes their story.
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Your insurer will handle all communication with the at-fault party’s insurance company on your behalf.
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You may need guidance on what to do at the scene of the accident before the cars are moved.
So before doing anything else, call your insurance company and explain you’ve been the victim of a rear-end collision. Provide preliminary details like the time and location. This gets the claims ball rolling.
What Information to Exchange at the Scene
Before either vehicle is moved, be sure to gather key details you’ll need about the other driver and car:
- Their name, phone number and address
- Insurance company and policy number
- Make, model, color and license plate of their car
- Photos documenting damage to both vehicles
- Eyewitness accounts and contact information
Having this information readily available makes the claims process much smoother compared to scrambling to get it later. If injuries are involved, also request a copy of the police report.
Steps to Take After a Rear-End Collision
Here are some important steps to take after a rear-end accident before you call insurance:
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Move vehicles to a safe location if they are blocking traffic.
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Check if the other driver needs medical attention and call 911 if necessary.
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Document the damage and scene through photos/video if safely possible.
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Exchange driver and vehicle details with the other party.
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File a police report, especially if serious injuries are involved.
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Seek medical care for any pain or discomfort, even if minor. Injuries can take time to manifest.
Taking these steps promptly can really help get your insurance claim and car repairs handled efficiently.
Who Actually Pays for the Damage?
In a rear-end collision, the driver who struck your vehicle is virtually always considered at-fault. This means their liability insurance should cover the cost of repairs to your car.
Potential compensation can include:
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Body work to fix damage to your rear bumper/tailgate
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New rear windshield if yours cracked or shattered
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Realigning a bumper or repairing frame damage
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Replacing any rear lights that were destroyed
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Detailing if needed
However, you still need to report the accident to your own insurer, even though fault lies with the other party. Your provider will seek reimbursement from the at-fault driver’s policy.
By cooperating with your claims adjuster and providing all required documentation, they can secure compensation for the damage caused by the other motorist. Never settle directly with the rear-ender’s insurance yourself.
Will My Insurance Rates Increase?
Many people worry their auto insurance premiums will shoot up after an accident where they were not at fault. The good news is, your rates should not increase if someone hits you from behind, since you didn’t cause the collision.
However, if you file a claim against your own policy, that may impact your premiums down the road. Insurers sometimes consider even not-at-fault claims when calculating pricing models.
My advice is to shop around when your policy is up for renewal, and highlight that you were the victim of a rear-end accident. This can help you find insurers willing to offer competitive rates. Maintaining a clean driving history will also help minimize any increases.
Next Steps After Calling Insurance
Once you’ve reported the rear-end accident to your provider, here are some next steps to expect:
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Your adjuster will investigate fault and seek compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurer.
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Take your car to an approved body shop for an estimate if it’s drivable.
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Provide a recorded statement about what happened.
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Send over any accident photos, police reports, and other evidence.
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Pay your collision deductible if you have that coverage.
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Stay in touch with your adjuster throughout the repair process.
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Consider pursuing injury claims if you have significant medical bills.
With persistence and cooperation, you can get your car fixed quickly and any injuries covered after being rear-ended. Let your insurance company handle the negotiations.
What If You Were At-Fault?
If you make a mistake and hit another vehicle from behind, the process goes a bit differently:
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Report the accident to your insurer right away, accepting you’re likely at fault.
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Apologize to the other driver but avoid discussing liability.
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Your insurance will probably pay for repairs to the other party’s car if you have sufficient coverage.
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Expect premium increases at renewal due to the at-fault claim.
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You may need to pay your collision deductible if you have that coverage.
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Fines, traffic school, lawsuits or much higher insurance rates may result.
While rear-ending someone can be stressful, reporting promptly and letting your insurance handle it reduces headaches. Just drive carefully and maintain ample stopping distance between cars. But if an accident happens, take responsibility and call your provider immediately.
Key Takeaways
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Call your own insurance first after any rear-end accident to start claims.
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Exchange contact/vehicle information and take photos at the scene.
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Not-at-fault rear-end claims shouldn’t impact your premiums.
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The other driver’s liability insurance should pay for any damage to your vehicle.
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Fully cooperate with your claims adjuster for quick repairs.
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Seek medical treatment promptly, even for minor discomfort.
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Shop insurers when your policy is up to minimize premium hikes.
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At-fault rear-end accidents lead to fines, insurance increases, and lawsuits potentially.
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But always report truthfully to your provider if you make a mistake.
Getting rear-ended can be upsetting, but following proper steps when contacting insurance gets your car fixed fast and keeps you protected. Notify your provider right away and let them handle the at-fault driver’s insurer. Patience and persistence pay off.
How Do Rear-End Car Accidents Happen?
Before we discuss how you should respond if you are rear ended in traffic, we should take a look at how rear-end car accidents happen. While the specific circumstances may vary, the actions of the driver to the rear are usually to blame. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), driver error accounts for 94 percent of the “critical reasons” resulting in crashes. When it comes to rear-end car accidents, misconduct by a driver that could bring about a collision may include:
- Most rear-end car accidents happen because of drivers who are too close to each other. This is also known as “tailgating.” It’s important for drivers to leave enough space between themselves and the cars in front of them so that they can change their speed when traffic slows down or stops. The National Safety Council suggests the “three-second rule” as a way to figure out how far behind you should be to stay safe. In essence, time how long it takes you to pass the same spot after the car in front of you passes a fixed roadside marker like a tree or sign. If it’s been less than three seconds, move farther away until the three-second mark is reached. (A “four-second rule” might be better if you are driving a big truck or semi-trailer to make up for the longer stopping distance.) The three-second rule is simple to follow and makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, drivers who are moody are always trying to “beat” everyone else around them. They do this by invading other drivers’ space in a way that could annoy them and give them less time to react, which could lead to a rear-end collision.
- Speeding—going too fast is another mistake that people make when they are angry. Drivers who are going too fast have less time to react and more time to stop, which can make rear-end collisions more likely and worse.
- Distraction driving: The NHTSA says that 87 percent of rear-end collisions are caused by “some form or degree of driver distraction.” It’s become very common for drivers to be distracted by their phones, which can take their hands off the wheel and their eyes off the road at the same time.
- Drunk driving: Driving while drunk is still a big problem. Every day, 37 Americans are killed in accidents caused by alcohol, which is one death every 39 minutes. Drivers who are high or drunk have bad judgment and slow reflexes, which means they might not see or react to stopped cars until it’s too late.
- Lack of sleep—Driving while sleepy is sometimes just as dangerous as driving drunk Someone who hasn’t slept in more than twenty hours might be just as impaired behind the wheel as someone whose blood alcohol level is 0. 08 percent, the legal limit for intoxication in most states. Every year, fatigue leads to 100,000 car accidents in the United States, 50,000 injuries, and 800 deaths. This means that the driver who hit you from behind probably wasn’t getting enough rest.
Besides a careless driver, a rear-end car accident could also be caused by outside factors such as
· Mechanical failure (locked brakes, tire blowouts)
· Bad weather (rain, sleet, snow, ice)
· Road hazards (loose gravel, oil spills)
This kind of accident might make it harder to stop, but it might not be enough to let a driver off the hook. Anyone operating a car is supposed to deal with issues as they arise. Drivers must still slow down or make evasive maneuvers to avoid rear-end collisions, even if the roads get worse or their cars start moving erratically. If they don’t, they will have to face the consequences.
What to Do After You Are Rear Ended
Being rear ended can be disorienting. You might be sitting comfortably in your car one minute, maybe stopping at a red light or just slowing down in traffic. The next thing you know, you might feel a sudden impact behind you. This could turn your world upside down, even if you don’t know it yet.
Right after a rear-end car accident, it can be hard to think straight, but there are things you should do to protect any case you might have, such as:
- Get to a safe place—If you stay in the middle of the street, this might not be the last accident of the day. Get to a safe place before you try to do anything else.
- Call 911—Grab your phone and call 911 so that police and other emergency workers can come and take a look at what happened and help the hurt. When police arrive, make sure you tell them everything that happened. If you don’t, an incorrect police report could hurt your claim.
- Click pictures and record videos—While your phone is out, click pictures and record videos of what’s going on around you. Even though it’s an old saying, a picture really is worth a thousand words when it comes to proving fault and keeping track of your losses. You can also use the camera to record what any witnesses say.
- Get medical help right away. Your health is the most important thing, and waiting too long to see a doctor could slow your recovery and make it harder to prove that the car accident caused your injuries. Because of this, you should get help right away, preferably from paramedics at the scene or at the closest emergency room.
- Exchanging information—The strength of your case will depend a lot on the details you gather for it, such as the defendants’ names. Don’t leave until you have the following from the driver who hit you from behind:
o Vehicle year, make, and model
o Insurance company and policy number
In the event that you decide to file a car accident claim, these steps should provide you with a strong base where you can begin.
Whose Insurance Should You Call?
After taking care of the most important things that came up after the accident, it’s time to talk to the insurance companies. But whose insurance should you call?.
In some ways, this is a trick question. You should always tell your insurance company about your car accident, even if you don’t think the other driver was at fault. This is because you may be required to do so. Depending on the terms of your policy, not telling the insurance company within a reasonable amount of time could be seen as non-compliance. This could mean that the insurance company can drop your coverage or refuse to renew it in the future.
That may sound harsh, but if you are found to be at fault in a car accident, your insurance company has to pay for the other person’s damages up to the limits of your liability policy. Because of this duty, your insurance company will want to look into the car accident and decide who might or might not be responsible for it. The sooner you speak to your insurance company, the sooner this process can begin.
More positively, the sooner you call your insurance company, the sooner you can use any benefits your policy may provide. Almost every state requires drivers to have a certain amount of liability insurance to cover any harm they cause to other people. Your insurance policy should also include this coverage. But depending upon the coverage you have purchased, you might also be entitled to reimbursement for:
- Medical payments (known as MedPay or Personal Injury Protection (PIP))
- Towing
- Car rentals
- Repairs
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage and comprehensive coverage are two other types of non-liability coverage that may be available. UM/UIM coverage applies when the other driver either doesn’t have insurance or has insurance limits that are too low to cover your damages. Comprehensive coverage applies to events that don’t involve a collision and are out of your control. But there may be things that need to happen before these policies take effect, if you even have them.
You may be able to get these and other benefits even if you are found to be at fault (but you should check your policy again). And if it turns out that someone else was at fault, your insurance company may try to get money back from that person’s insurance company. In any case, don’t forget to tell your insurance company about the car accident, even if you don’t think you were at fault. This is a requirement for any claim.
If Someone Rear Ends You, Whose Insurance Do You Call?
FAQ
Should you call your insurance or theirs?
Does your insurance go up after a claim that is not your fault?
Why does my insurance go up when someone hits me?
What happens if someone rear ends you in Florida?
What happens after a rear-end accident?
Insurance companies can be notoriously difficult to deal with after a rear-end accident. Often, they’ll insist that your rear-end claim is frivolous and that you weren’t actually hurt in your accident. You know the truth. You know your rear-end collision was serious and you deserve to be financially compensated.
Should I talk to my insurance company after a rear-end collision?
If the other driver’s insurance company does contact you after your rear-end collision, don’t talk to them. Even if their questions sound simple or straightforward, don’t trust them. Often, they’re simply fishing for information they can use to reduce or deny your injury claim.
Should I Call my insurance if someone rear-ends me?
If someone rear-ends you, it’s best to call your insurance, no matter who’s at-fault during any auto accident, not just a rear-end collision. You should call as soon as possible so your insurance knows whether your rear-end accident is covered.
How does car insurance work after a rear-end accident?
If you’re making a car accident injury claim as the leading driver (the one who was hit from behind) after a rear-end accident, the first thing to know is that car insurance coverage will largely dictate how your claim proceeds (and often, how much you’ll receive).