If you live in an at-fault state, the claim will go through the at-fault driver’s insurance provider. If it is clear that you were not at fault, you will not need to file a claim—but you’ll still need to contact your provider to report the incident. This is true whether you both use the same insurance company or not.

If you live in a no-fault state, both drivers will need to make a claim through their own providers. Once again, this applies even if you both use the same insurance company.

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Minimum car insurance required in your state: What you need to know

What information do I need to have on hand?

Regardless of whether you and the other driver have the same insurance provider, you still need to collect all the necessary information. The claims process will be the same.

Be sure to carefully collect the following information after the accident:

Make, model, and years of both vehicles

License plate numbers

Details of the damage

Photographs of the scene

Insurance policy number for the other driver

Personal details for the other driver—name, phone number, license number

Don’t admit any fault

unless the situation is crystal clear. Emotions can be running high after an accident; let the police and insurance provider assign fault, instead.

Key Takeaway Accidents involving drivers with the same insurance company should be treated the same as accidents involving drivers with different insurers.

Who pays the deductible?

Typically, both drivers will need to pay a deductible regardless of who is at fault—although you might be reimbursed later. If you both have the provider, the insurance company may not require you to pay a deductible if it’s clear that you weren’t at fault.

The potential for saving money on your deductible is actually the only real advantage to car accidents involving drivers with the same insurance company. If the adjuster has to investigate to determine who is at fault, you will still both have to put down a deductible.

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Will my claim be processed faster?

It’s a common misconception that having the same provider will speed up the claims process. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Even if you both use the same car insurance company, you can expect your claim to take around the same amount of time to process.

Insurance companies are legally obligated to process their claims efficiently. Your insurer will not favor cases based on whether or not there are other insurance companies involved.

MORE:

How much does your insurance go up after an accident?

Working with different adjusters from the same company

You will always be assigned different adjusters to assess damage to your vehicle—even if you have the same insurance company. Both insurance adjusters work separately to conclude who caused the accident, which policy covers what, and how much each policy pays.

The adjusters will follow the same protocol that they would if they were representing different companies. Your adjuster will represent your interests, and the same goes for the other driver.

In addition, the adjusters might work for different branches or even in different cities. Even if they know each other, the adjusters cannot share information unless they have written permission.

Just because you both have the same insurance provider doesn’t mean you have to accept a low offer, though.

If your offer of payment is too low, challenge it the same way you would if you were dealing with a driver who has another company—just don’t be tempted to skip steps when you counter the settlement.

Key Takeaway Even if you both share the same insurance provider, you will still have to cooperate with your adjuster to ensure the best outcome.

MORE: How can I find affordable insurance after an accident?

Finding the best car insurance rates

If you’re at fault or in a no-fault state, your insurance rates will likely increase after an accident. This is true whether you and the other driver both have an insurance company or not.

Sure, shopping around for a

cheaper insurance policy

can help you save—but let’s not forget all that extra time and energy that goes into endlessly entering your information to compare quotes.

If you want to find the best insurance rates without the hassle,

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"Choosing an insurance company for the first time can be scary, but this made everything simple. I found a very affordable policy and am paying was less than expected!" — Satisfied Jerry User

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