Will My Insurance Rates Go Up After an Accident?

The insurance industry thrives on a specific brand of quiet intimidation. For decades, they have cultivated a “don’t rock the boat” culture where victims of accidents they didn’t cause are terrified to file a claim. As a result, people worry that the moment they report a fender bender, their premium will skyrocket, effectively punishing them for someone else’s negligence.

At Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers, we see the hesitation every day. People come to us with broken bones and totaled cars, asking if they should just “handle it privately” to avoid a rate hike. If you are operating on that assumption, you are leaving your settlement–and your rights–on the table.

In Nevada, the law is actually on your side, but you need a team that knows how to enforce it.

The NRS 687B.385 Shield

Most drivers are fundamentally misinformed about their rights under the Nevada Revised Statutes. They assume that insurance companies have a “god-given” right to raise rates whenever they please.

The reality is that Nevada has one of the strongest consumer protection laws in the nation regarding non-at-fault accidents.

Under NRS 687B.385, an insurer is strictly prohibited from increasing your premium, cancelling your policy, or refusing to renew your coverage based on:

• Non-at-fault claims: Any claim where you were not the primary cause of the accident.
• Unpaid claims: Any claim for which the insurer made no payment.
• Subrogated claims: Any claim where your insurer recovered the entirety of their payment from the at-fault driver’s insurance.
• Mere inquiries: Simply calling your agent to ask “what if” or seeking information about a potential claim.

As Las Vegas car accident lawyers, we use this statute as a hammer. If your insurance company tries to “re-rate” you after a crash where you were 0% at fault, they may be breaking the law.

The “Chargeable” Accident Myth

In the corporate offices of insurance giants, they use a technical term called a “chargeable accident.” This is an accident that actually justifies a rate increase. In Nevada, if you are less than 50% at fault, that accident is technically non-chargeable.

However, insurance companies may try to attribute a “small percentage of fault” (like 5% or 10%) to you for “failing to avoid” a collision, even if the other driver blew a red light.

Why? Because it allows them to bypass the NRS protections and trigger a premium hike. At Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers, we deconstruct these “shared fault” narratives. We look at the dashcam footage, the telemetry data, and the police reports to ensure that 0% fault stays 0% fault.

You Can’t Afford to Wait

The fear of a rate hike often leads to a “delay” in filing. This is a tactical error. While you are worrying about your monthly premium, the evidence at the scene is disappearing and the 7-day surveillance loops at the casinos are being overwritten.

Here’s the thing: your insurance policy is a contract you’ve already paid for. You are not “asking for a favor” when you file a claim. You are exercising a contractual right that the State of Nevada has explicitly protected.

At Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers, Bradley S. Mainor and Adam Ellis provide the aggressive, calculated advocacy needed to help you file and win your claim. We represent victims throughout Las Vegas and Henderson, ensuring that your “claim” doesn’t become a “penalty.”

Contact Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers today at 702-450-5000 for a free, no-obligation consultation. Let’s look at the facts, protect your record, and ensure you get the compensation you are legally entitled to without the fear of a premium hike.

Source:

leg.state.nv.us/nrs/NRS-687B.html