So, last month I had the misfortune of totaling my car. It was a pretty nasty accident, but thankfully no one got hurt (except my poor car, RIP). Anyway, insurance declared it a total loss and paid out the claim. Now I'm shopping around for a new ride and starting to wonder how much this whole mess is gonna follow me around.
I've heard from friends that once you've had a total loss claim, your insurance premiums can skyrocket or some companies might even refuse to cover you altogether. Is that really true? I mean, I get that insurers see you as riskier after an accident, but does one total loss really make you like some kind of insurance pariah forever?
I'm kinda nervous about getting quotes now because I don't wanna be stuck paying crazy high premiums for years. Has anyone here been through something similar? Did your rates jump up significantly? Or did you find certain companies were more forgiving than others?
Also, if anyone has tips on how to minimize the damage (pun intended) when shopping around for new coverage after a total loss, I'd seriously appreciate it. Like, is there anything specific I should mention or avoid mentioning when talking to agents? Or maybe certain insurers who are known to be more understanding about these things?
Honestly, I'm just trying not to panic here. Buying a new car is stressful enough without worrying about being blacklisted by insurance companies forever...
