Every week we’ll highlight the best question sent to our resident insurance expert, Anne Marie Thomas. This week’s question comes from a Daniel who is wondering about the ramifications on a person’s auto insurance rate if they have an accident while driving a rental car.
Daniel asks:
“Would the auto insurance rate go up for a driver (once they purchase their own vehicle) who was involved in an accident in a rental vehicle previously?”
Even though you don’t own the vehicle that was involved in the collision, doesn’t mean the accident won’t follow you, explains Anne Marie.
“It’s possible, yes. It will depend on when and why the collision happened. If it was more than six years ago, or if you were found to be fully not at fault for the collision, it’s likely your premiums will be unaffected.
“It’s important to remember, however, that you’re expected to be fully upfront about any collisions you’ve been involved in (as a driver) when getting insurance, regardless of who owned the vehicle being driven. If you’re not, you run the risk of the insurer finding out anyway which could result in a denial of coverage.
“When insurers underwrite new policies, one of the reports they order details your insurance history. Accidents are typically listed on this report by driver’s licence number. If you were involved in an at fault accident while driving a vehicle that you do not own, it’s possible then that this collision is listed.
“The best way to know for certain is to request a copy of your report from CGI. CGI is the company that maintains the information about auto insurance policy and claims data in Canada on behalf of the industry.”
Honesty is always the best policy, especially when purchasing an auto insurance policy.
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