Auto insurance record of claims

[Staples]

I have State Farm and am shopping around for something a bit cheaper. In all of these online quote calculators, they ask 1) have you made any claims in the last x years, 2) what were their dates and amounts. Is there really a record that can be obtained if I moved to another insurer or is my word what they go by? In the one incident I have been in, there was no police report and my car (but not the other) got damaged. The other driver, I did give them the license plate but I highly doubt they made any type of claim. My insurer paid something like $2k for a new bumper and hood.

 

[Gibson486]

yes. The call your previous company so they can check if the info your provided matches. That is why they can only give you a quote.

 

[KB]

They find the tickets you get from the police by referencing your Drivers license number. So I bet they have a way to get your claims from other companies.

 

[sactoking]

Insurers voluntarily report to several industry-sponsored companies that maintain records of accident/injury history. ChoicePoint, ISO, etc. all keep detailed records of date, time, vehicle, driver, passenger, injuries, damage, etc. It's like a credit report for your insurance (only it's not public knowledge). Get hit at low speed and hurt your back? You can be damn sure the insurer is checking your injury history through a service. If they see that prior accident 3 months ago with low back injuries be prepared for a lowered settlement (for aggravation of pre-existing injury) or an investigation (for fraud).

 

[boomerang]

sactoking is right.

Don't lie either for obvious reasons.