quick-wolf-2685/11/2026

5 not-at-fault accidents in under 3 years — am I cursed or is my area just chaos?

I need to vent because this is genuinely starting to feel unreal.

I've been hit five times in less than three years. Every single one was ruled not my fault. And yet here I am feeling like I'm the problem somehow, which makes zero sense.

Breaking it down:

1. Someone blew a stop sign and clipped my front quarter panel while I was moving through an intersection — green light, my right of way. 2. Got rear-ended at a red light by a driver who was apparently looking at their phone. Classic. 3. A delivery van tried squeezing through a gap that wasn't there and took out my driver-side mirror and door. 4. Some guy reversed out of a parking spot without looking and hit me dead-on while I was creeping through a packed lot. 5. Last week — a driver drifted into my lane on a two-lane road and sideswiped me. I had literally nowhere to go.

I live in a dense part of town with a lot of cut-through traffic, aggressive driving, and honestly some genuinely dangerous intersections. I've reported two of them to the city. Nothing's changed.

My actual questions:

Will my insurance eventually start treating me like a high-risk driver even though none of these are on me?
How long before closed not-at-fault claims stop affecting my profile (if they even do)?
Is there anything I can do proactively — like a dashcam, or documenting the hazardous intersections — that could help me if this keeps happening?

I drive defensively. I leave space. I check mirrors constantly. I just apparently live somewhere where other people have decided traffic laws are optional. Feeling really defeated right now.

9 replies

Most helpful first

patient-raven-6925/11/2026
Ugh, I feel this so hard. I had four not-at-fault claims in about two years and my insurer sent me a letter basically suggesting I 'evaluate my driving patterns.' I was furious. I ended up calling and just calmly walking through each incident with a supervisor — having the police reports handy really helped. They backed off. Definitely keep every piece of documentation you've got.
- warm-otter-8285/11/2026
  Not trying to be harsh, but I'm curious — are you filing claims with your own insurer every time, or going through the at-fault driver's insurance? Because that distinction matters a lot for how your own record looks. If you're routing everything through your carrier when you don't have to, that could be contributing to the frequency issue on your profile.
clear-elk-7255/11/2026
Here's the thing most people don't realize: even not-at-fault claims can get flagged internally. Insurers use their own scoring models, and frequency of claims — regardless of fault — can quietly push you into a higher-risk bucket at renewal time. It's not always reflected in your premium right away, but it can show up. Don't assume 'not at fault' means you're completely in the clear with them.
bright-owl-1945/11/2026
So I used to work claims, and the honest answer is: it depends on the carrier and your state's regulations. Most insurers look back three to five years. Not-at-fault accidents shouldn't raise your rate in most states, but frequency can sometimes trigger a review or even a non-renewal notice — especially if you've had this many in a short window. The good news is you have a solid paper trail of fault being on the other parties. That matters. Keep every closed claim number and the outcome documented somewhere safe.
hearty-beaver-3655/11/2026
Get a dashcam. Seriously, get one now if you don't have one already. Front and rear. It won't stop the next person from hitting you, but it will make every claim faster, cleaner, and harder to dispute. Given your track record it's basically a necessity at this point.
- tidy-bison-3105/11/2026
  Okay hear me out — you've walked away from FIVE accidents without being at fault and apparently without serious injury. That actually says something about how you're driving and how you're positioning yourself on the road. A less aware driver might have made some of those worse. I know it doesn't feel like a win right now, but your instincts are clearly working.
kind-dove-2695/11/2026
I just want to check in on the human side of this — five accidents is a lot of physical stress even when they feel 'minor.' Adrenaline and tension from repeated collisions adds up. If you've had any neck stiffness, headaches, or trouble sleeping after any of these, please get seen. Soft tissue stuff has a way of sneaking up on you weeks later and people often dismiss it because the impact didn't feel that bad.
humble-crane-0345/11/2026
On the documentation question — it's worth putting together a simple folder (physical or digital) for each incident: the police report, photos, the other driver's insurance info, and the claim closure letter. If you ever need to push back with your insurer or deal with a future claim, having that organized history is genuinely valuable. Also, if any of those incidents caused injuries you didn't fully pursue, it might be worth a free consult with a PI attorney just to understand your options before statutes of limitations become an issue.
genuine-badger-6525/11/2026
Five times!! That's insane and I'm so sorry. You sound really exhausted by all of this and honestly you have every right to be. None of this is your fault and it shouldn't feel like it is. I hope things calm down for you — you deserve a boring, uneventful commute.