daring-fox-56715h ago

My own insurer wants me to pick between two coverage types — which hurts me less long-term?

So I got rear-ended pretty badly on the highway about two months ago. The other driver was 100% at fault — she was on her phone and hit me at full speed while I was stopped in traffic. Her insurance admitted fault right away, which I was grateful for, but here's the problem: her policy limit is way too low to cover what my truck is actually worth. Her carrier basically said "that's all we've got" and now my own insurer is stepping in to cover the gap.

Here's where I'm confused. My insurer called and said I need to choose between filing under my collision coverage or my underinsured motorist property damage (UIMPD) coverage. They told me if I go the collision route, they'll waive my deductible entirely. If I go UIMPD, I'm on the hook for a $250 deductible.

Honestly $250 is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But what I really care about is whether one of these options is going to flag my account and cause my rates to spike at renewal. This is literally the first claim I've ever filed — I've been with this company for years with a clean record.

I did ask my adjuster which was better and she kind of hinted toward UIMPD but wouldn't really explain why. I don't want to just take her word for it without understanding the reasoning.

Has anyone been in this exact situation? Did your rates go up afterward regardless of which path you took? Any insight would be huge, I'm going in circles trying to figure this out. 🙏

8 replies

Most helpful first

cool-dove-07415h ago
I had almost this exact situation last year. I went with UIMPD on my adjuster's recommendation and my rates did NOT go up at renewal. The way it was explained to me afterward is that UIMPD claims are generally treated differently because you're essentially the victim of someone else's underinsurance — it's not considered a fault claim on your record. That said, every insurer is different so I'd push your company to put it in writing that the claim won't affect your rate.
- wise-dove-10815h ago
  Be really careful here. Adjusters work for the insurance company, not for you. When she "hints" toward one option, ask yourself why that might benefit them. Get everything in writing before you agree to anything, and ask specifically: "Will either of these options result in a rate increase or affect my claims history?" Make them answer directly.
- gentle-swift-00515h ago
  One thing worth knowing: your state's insurance regulations may actually require your insurer to treat not-at-fault claims as non-chargeable regardless of which coverage bucket they file it under. It varies a lot by state. Look up your state's department of insurance website — they usually have a plain-language FAQ on rate increases and not-at-fault claims. Takes like 10 minutes and it'll help you ask smarter questions when you call your insurer back.
sharp-tern-82915h ago
Former adjuster here. Internally, collision claims can sometimes be coded in ways that show up as a chargeable event depending on your state's regulations and your specific policy language. UIMPD claims, on the other hand, are often classified as non-chargeable because you're the not-at-fault party being made whole. That $250 deductible might genuinely be worth paying to keep your premium history cleaner. But — and I can't stress this enough — call your insurer's customer service line (not just the adjuster) and ask them directly how each claim type affects your Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) report and your renewal rate. Get a name and a timestamp on that call.
silent-grouse-00015h ago
Not legal advice, but the coverage election question you're asking is genuinely one where the answer depends on your specific policy language and your state's regulations. What I'd suggest is requesting a copy of the relevant policy sections for both coverages and reading how each one defines "chargeable loss." If anything is unclear, a quick free consultation with a PI attorney in your state can clarify things — most will do 15 minutes on the phone at no cost. Don't make the decision blind.
clever-newt-85215h ago
Here's the short version: call your insurance company's main customer service line, ask them to confirm in writing (email is fine) that whichever option you choose will not result in a premium surcharge or rate increase at renewal because you were not at fault. If they won't confirm that, you have your answer about which company to drop when this is all over.
brave-marmot-91715h ago
Ugh, I'm sorry you're dealing with this on top of everything else the accident already put you through. It's so frustrating that even when you did nothing wrong you still have to navigate all of this. Hope you get a clear answer soon — you deserve to just have this behind you.
wise-marmot-50015h ago
Quick question — did you already accept any payout from the at-fault driver's insurer, even a partial one? Depending on how that was structured it might affect how your own insurer handles the gap claim. Just want to make sure you're not in a situation where accepting one payment inadvertently complicates the other.