Does My Driving History Impact My Florida Auto Accident Claim?
Brian O Sutter
Insurance Laws
The biggest lesson accident injury victims learn is that Florida insurance companies are not on your side. After an accident, no matter how devastating, insurance companies will try to get out of paying full and fair compensation. To get out of paying, they use a lot of dirty tricks. One of the most insidious is to look into your background to dig up any dirt they can find. One of the most common areas that they will investigate is your past driving record. They will scour your driving history and look for anything that they can use against you. How Insurance Companies Will Use Your Driving Record Against You
Insurance companies have no interest in paying settlements, so they will do whatever they can to get out of paying. First, they will try to use your record as a way to blame you for the accident. For example, imagine you have a citation in the past for running a red light and your accident was at an intersection. The insurance company will point to that citation and say that with your history of running red lights, you ran the red light and are now lying. If there isn’t a direct connection like the example, they will still use your driving record to discredit you. If you have several citations, they will point to that as proof that you are not to be trusted. If these tactics work, they can really hurt your case. This isn’t the only way they use your driving history against you. They will also use your insurance record.
How Insurance Companies Use Your Insurance Record Against You
There are many ways that insurance companies will weaponize your insurance record against you. First, if you have a past history of accident injury claims, they will point to those claims and make wild accusations. Sometimes they will accuse you of trying to commit insurance fraud, that you are just looking for an “easy payday.” Other times, they will accuse you of having a history of accidents because you are a bad driver. They will use this to argue that you are actually at fault for the accident.
How To Clean Up Your Driving Record
We all make mistakes, but it is not fair for anyone to use those past mistakes against you. There’s not much you can do about the insurance companies weaponizing your driving history against you. However, there are some things you can do to clean up your record. The first is to take a safe driving course after a ticket. This communicates that you just made a mistake and are working to improve. Many traffic schools offer these courses. The best part is they can help reduce your insurance premiums. You can also have your driving record sealed or expunged with the help of an attorney. These actions are best taken before an accident. So try to clean up your driving record as soon as possible.
After an accident, insurance companies will do whatever they can to get out of paying a full and fair settlement. That includes digging into your past and using whatever they find against you. Fortunately, you do not have to face their tactics alone. Our expert legal team at All Injuries Law Firm can help. We’ll fight to protect your rights and counter all of their moves. We’ll work hard to make sure you get the full and fair settlement you deserve under Florida state law.
Ready to learn more? Give us a call at 1-941-625-4878 or chat with us right on our website. We offer a free case review to help you understand all of your legal options.