"Any Accidents or Claims?" How to Answer It on a Quote
This is the question people most often answer from memory, quickly, and slightly wrong. Getting it right takes five minutes with the right papers in front of you, and it is the difference between a quote that survives verification and one that changes before the policy issues.
- The date of each accident or claim, even approximate
- Which car and which driver were involved
- Claim numbers and the insurer that handled each claim
- Anything in writing about fault: a police report number, a letter from an insurer
- Whether anyone was hurt, and whether an SR-1 report went to the DMV
Step 1: read what the question actually asks
Forms differ. Some ask about accidents, some about claims, some about both. Some ask about you, others about every household driver. The window is commonly three or five years, and the form says which. Answer the question on the screen, not the one you expected.
Step 2: list events, not just the ones that cost money
| Event | List it? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Accident you caused, with a claim paid | Yes | It is the core of the question. |
| Accident someone else caused | Yes, marked not at fault | California's fault rules decide how it is treated, not your silence. |
| Accident with no insurance claim | Yes, if the form asks about accidents | The DMV adds a reported collision to the driver record whoever caused it. |
| Glass, theft or vandalism claim | Yes, if the form asks about claims | How each company weighs it varies by insurance company. |
| Claim opened and later withdrawn | Mention it | It may still appear in a company's claim records. |
Step 3: say who was at fault, and on what basis
California limits when an insurer can treat you as principally at fault. Your actions must have been at least 51 percent of the legal cause, and the accident must have caused injury or death, or property damage that was a total loss or over $1,000. You are presumed not principally at fault if, among other cases, you were lawfully parked, you were rear-ended and not convicted of a moving violation for the accident, the other driver was convicted and you were not, or you were hit by a hit-and-run driver reported within a reasonable time (10 CCR 2632.13).
So do not just write "accident, 2024". Write "rear-ended at a light, other driver cited, their insurer paid". That sentence is the evidence.
Step 4: flag anything still open
If a claim is unresolved or fault has not been decided, say so plainly. The quote can be built on the facts as they stand, and some companies revisit the rating once the claim closes; how they handle that varies by insurance company. An open claim left off is worse than one disclosed as open.
Step 5: do not round down
A misrepresentation of prior claims is one of the grounds on which a California insurer may cancel a policy later (Insurance Code 661). If the mistake was honest and negligent rather than deliberate, the law lets you fix it by giving the corrected information within 20 days of the notice and paying any premium difference. Better still is never needing that window.
Why the company usually knows already
The DMV reports collisions on the driver record for three years from the collision date, and insurers commonly check a claims-history report as well. The point of answering fully is not that you might be caught; it is that a quote built on the full picture is the one that turns into the policy at the same price.
Gather the dates and send them through our quote form; approximate is fine as long as you say it is approximate.
Where this comes from
- 10 CCR 2632.13 — principally-at-fault rules (via Cornell LII)
- California Insurance Code section 661 (grounds for cancellation; the 20-day correction)
- California Vehicle Code section 16000 (SR-1 accident report)
- California DMV Driver Handbook — Financial responsibility, insurance requirements and collisions
- California DMV — Request your driver's record (what it shows, how long, corrections)
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Get My Free QuoteMore of what callers ask
Do I list an accident that was not my fault?
Yes, and mark it not at fault with whatever shows why. California's rules presume you were not principally at fault in several situations, such as being lawfully parked or rear-ended without a conviction.
Does a windshield claim count?
If the question asks about claims, list it. How a glass claim is treated in pricing varies by insurance company, but leaving it off only creates a mismatch later.
What if I never reported a small accident to anyone?
If the form asks about accidents, include it. Separately, a driver must file an SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days when an accident causes over $1,000 in damage to anyone's property, or any injury or death.
What if I cannot remember the exact date?
Give the month and year as best you can and say it is approximate. A flagged estimate is useful; a confident wrong date is not.