The number of car crashes in the United States is on the rise and insurance companies are responding by increasing their rates as well. Insurers claim that this is as a result of the habitual and widespread use of cellphones behind the wheel.

The study in question was created by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company; identifying that more than one-third of all individuals surveyed in 2015 admitted to texting and driving behind the wheel. Nearly 30% identified that they had browsed the web while driving as well. Distracted drivers on the road often lead to far too many car crashes that could have been prevented.

Rising numbers of car crashes tied to distracted driving is also leading insurance companies to analyze whether or not rates need to be increased across the board. There are numerous other factors that may also be impacting this trend, including the U.S. economic recovery and lower gas prices; meaning that there are more vehicles on the road and more miles being driven on a regular basis.

Among other things, one of the things you might be worried about most after a serious California car accident is the impact on your car insurance rates. You may also be dealing with the emotional and physical pain and the medical bills from such an accident, prompting you to call an experienced injury lawyer for help.

While car insurance rates can fluctuate, you should know that in California, a company cannot raise your rates just because you were in an accident caused by someone else’s fault. There are only three elements that can be factored into your insurance company’s determination about your rates. Those factors include:

  • The driving safety record
  • The total number of years of driving experience
  • The number of miles driven annually

The driver safety record includes an analysis of some kinds of traffic violations spread over the previous three years. If a driver has been convicted of multiple violations like running a red light of speeding, this could influence that driver’s safety record. The driver safety record also includes situations in which someone was determined to be at fault in an accident. If the accident was not your fault, you should not be facing a jump in car insurance rates.

Victims have many things to worry about post-accident, but increased car insurance rates for an accident due to another’s negligence should not be one of them. For help with a case involving serious injuries and medical bills, a lawyer may be helpful for figuring out next steps.