Does Claims History Transfer?

My partner and I both have records free of claims and accidents for the past five years. We are about to trade in our two cars for one new family car, which my partner will insure and on which I will be named a driver. Will our clean claims history be lost once we switch to the new vehicle or does it stay with us?

Answer

Your claims history and driving record are tracked through your driver’s license, not the vehicle you drive or the policy you carry. Regardless of what vehicle you drive or which insurer you choose, your car insurance company will be able to see that you have a clean claims history. If you would like to view your claims history to make sure it is clean, you can do so by accessing the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) database. A CLUE report will give you a seven-year history of the losses associated with your personal property, including your vehicle(s). This is the database your insurer will access to evaluate your claims history. The report will include a brief account of every car insurance claim you’ve made for the last seven years. You can order a free CLUE auto report from the Choice Trust website.