Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis | October 1, 2026 | Car Accident
Car accidents can affect your driving record and insurance premiums in Ohio. Accident involvement may appear on a three-year driving record abstract, while insurance companies may consider an accident when determining premiums. How long an accident affects your insurance rates can depend on the insurer, the circumstances of the crash, your driving history, and other factors.
Fault can also affect how an accident impacts you financially. If another driver caused your crash, you may have the right to pursue compensation for your injuries and other accident-related losses.
How Long Do Accidents Appear on an Ohio Driving Record?
Ohio’s three-year driving record abstract includes accident involvement reports and other qualifying driving-related information from the previous three years. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles also maintains other types of driving records that may contain additional historical information.
Information that may appear on a three-year driving record abstract includes:
- Moving violation convictions
- Accident involvement reports
- Actions resulting in license suspensions, revocations, or other disqualifications
A three-year driving record abstract is not necessarily the same as a driver’s complete history. The type of record requested can determine what information is included.
How Long Can an Accident Affect Your Insurance Rates?
An accident may affect your insurance premiums, depending on factors such as fault, your driving history, and the insurer’s rating practices. An insurer may consider your accident history when evaluating risk and determining the cost of coverage.
Ohio law restricts insurers from increasing the cost of a private passenger auto policy based on a single accident during the policy period when the insured did not cause the resulting loss and was not convicted of or enter certain pleas to a violation arising from the accident.
Because insurance companies use different rating practices, there is no single period during which every accident will affect every driver’s premiums.
What Car Insurance Does Ohio Require?
Ohio drivers must comply with the state’s financial responsibility requirements. One way to satisfy these requirements is by maintaining automobile liability insurance.
Ohio’s mandatory insurance requirements include minimum liability limits of:
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death to one person
- $50,000 for bodily injury or death to two or more people in one accident
- $25,000 for property damage in one accident
These are minimum requirements. A driver may carry higher limits depending on the insurance policy purchased.
If another driver causes an accident, their liability coverage may provide compensation for losses resulting from the crash. Depending on the circumstances, an injured person may be able to pursue both economic damages and non-economic damages.
Can My Driving Record Affect a Future Accident Claim?
A driver’s accident history does not automatically establish who was responsible for a later crash. Liability generally depends on the facts and evidence surrounding the accident at issue.
Evidence such as photographs, witness statements, video footage, vehicle damage, and police documentation may help determine how a crash occurred. Evidence involving a driver’s prior conduct may be subject to rules limiting when it can be used in a legal proceeding.
What Should You Do After an Ohio Car Accident?
The steps you take after an accident can help preserve evidence and protect your ability to pursue an insurance or personal injury claim.
After an accident, you should:
- Immediately stop at the scene
- Call the police to report the crash
- Take photos of the vehicles and accident scene, if it is safe to do so
- Get names and contact information from witnesses
- Seek medical attention for your injuries
- Report the accident to your insurance company
- Keep records related to your medical treatment and other accident-related losses
- Consider speaking with an experienced car accident attorney
Taking these steps can help protect your health and preserve information that may become important to an insurance claim or personal injury case.
Contact the Lima Car Accident Attorneys at Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis for Help Today
An accident can affect your driving record, insurance premiums, and finances. If another driver caused your crash, you may also have the right to pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other accident-related losses.
The Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis can investigate your accident, help determine who may be responsible, and explain your options for seeking compensation. Contact our Lima car accident attorneys today to schedule a free consultation.
We proudly serve Allen County and the surrounding areas.
Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis Personal Injury Lawyers Lima
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Lima, OH 45801
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