WASHINGTON (AP) — Most drivers don’t expect to be hit with a rate hike on their auto insurance after a car accident that wasn’t their fault.
But a consumer group says it happens and often. And it’s a problem.
The Consumer Federation of America says it found premium hikes in some cases reaching $400. The group looked at premium quotes in 10 cities from five of the nation’s largest auto insurers and found that Progressive aggressively used a not-at-fault penalty, surcharging drivers in eight of the cities.
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GEICO, Farmers and Allstate sometimes raised rates. State Farm was the exception, with no penalties for not-at-fault accidents.
The industry says some insurers may consider information from not-at-fault accidents. But not all do, and that is one of several factors that could cause premiums to rise.
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