How long a car accident stays on your record in Connecticut depends on a number of factors, including the cause of the accident. It can vary based on the type of report. Most of the time, an accident will remain on your state driving record for three years.
Insurance company records may include accident documentation for three to five years, and in some situations of severe accidents or significant claims, it can remain present for up to seven years. Speak with a Waterbury car accident lawyer today.
Connecticut Rules for Serious Accidents
Some accidents are more serious, often affecting more than one person or causing substantial injuries. These serious accidents can remain on your record for five years, in most cases. However, there are some situations where they will remain for as long as 10 years.
Serious collisions tend to be those that require one or more people to seek medical care at a hospital, including injuries such as brain injuries, spinal injuries, broken bones, and internal injuries. A person is likely to need medical care and to miss time from work. These accidents often have a property value exceeding $1,000.
The most serious accidents are those that result in devastating outcomes, such as serious injuries resulting in paralysis or fatalities. These can remain on your record longer, even as long as 10 years, especially if they are the result of multiple violations or intentional actions. Accidents involving driving under the influence may also stay on your record for a longer period of time.
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Connecticut State Retention Requirements for Minor Accidents
How long does a car accident stay on your record in CT with the state? In most situations, the Connecticut record retention period is three years for most violations. This means that if you receive a citation as a result of your accident, you can expect it to remain on your state records for about three years, including violations such as:
- Minor accidents with no injuries
- Accidents resulting in less than $1000 in damage to either vehicle
A minor accident can still lead to a citation if you are found to be violating the law, such as speeding or failing to yield the right of way. While these seem like they are not a big deal, that is not the case. There are serious implications to any type of accident on your record, including higher insurance rates.
Insurance Records Retention of Accidents
Insurance companies also keep a record of all of the car accidents you are in and what outcomes they have. This information helps the insurance company to understand how much risk it is to maintain you as their client. Most of the time, insurance records remain for three to five years, and they will influence your premium calculations throughout that time.
Insurance companies use this lookback period to assess risk. They believe that a person who has engaged in poor behavior in the past, resulting in a claim, is more likely to do so in the future. That means you are more of a risk, and that drives up the cost of insurance.
This insurance record does not follow the Department of Motor Vehicles record. These records are for insurance company decision-making. The records, though, are within your claims history report, often referred to as a CLUE report. This record is available to all insurance companies, not just the company you are currently working with or the one that accepted your claim.
Factors That Impact How Long Your Car Accident Remains on Your Record
If you are trying to reach the point of having a clean slate again, you will need to work at getting both reports to no longer report any previous accidents or filed claims. Here is a look at what you can expect from most situations in Connecticut, but remember, individual cases and accidents can extend how long a car accident stays on your record in CT:
- Minor accident in which you are at fault: This type of claim is typically going to remain on your insurance report for up to three years. It has a moderate level of impact on the cost of future policies.
- Major accident in which you are at fault: This means, to insurance companies, that they had to make a large payout to cover your losses. In these cases, you can expect the incident to remain on your record for at least five years, and during that time, it will impact your rates.
- Reckless driving and DUI accidents: If you are found at fault for either of these types of egregious accident causes, you can expect that they will remain on your record for up to 10 years. Some of these accidents result in substantial payouts, and because they are associated with intentional acts, they may include punitive damages in some situations.
- Comprehensive claim: If you file a claim for a no-fault claim, such as because you struck a deer or your car was stolen, you can expect the claim to remain on your record for up to three years. However, these claims typically do not have as much of an impact on your insurance costs as at-fault claims do.
If your claim is serious and costs the insurance company significant money, it will remain noted on your record longer. When possible, it is always wise to work to reduce any risk of this happening by proving you were not at fault for the accident. That can better support your goal of getting a clean slate.
Speaking to a Personal Injury Lawyer About Your Rights
If you are hurt in an accident and blamed for it, let the team at the Law Offices of James A. Welcome review your case. We work to represent victims who may be facing denials of coverage unfairly.
Set up a free consultation with our team to learn more about how long a car accident stays on your record, your rights, and what can happen if you are facing fault-related points added to your license.
