Should I use my own insurance even if I wasn’t at fault?

A lot of people hesitate to call their own insurance company after a crash. It feels backwards — “Why should I use my insurance when I didn’t do anything wrong?” Or they worry, “Will my rates go up?” These are real concerns, and here’s the truth:

Using your own insurance — collision, PIP, rental reimbursement — is often the smartest, fastest, least painful way to get your life moving again.
And when you’re not at fault, Washington law protects you.

Under RCW 46.52.130(3)(iii), your insurance company cannot raise your rates, cancel you, deny you, or refuse to renew you just because an accident appears on your driving record unless you were at fault. So if someone else caused the crash, using your own insurance is not a penalty. It’s using coverage you already paid for.

Here’s why it matters: the at-fault driver’s insurer has no obligation to help you quickly. They can drag their feet, dispute fault, claim they’re “still investigating,” or leave you without a drivable car or medical care while they take their sweet time. Your own carrier doesn’t get to do that. They owe you prompt payment under your policy, and they can recover the money later from the at-fault insurer.

Using your own insurance is not “letting the other driver off the hook.”
It’s not surrender.
It’s strategy.

If you’re overwhelmed, injured, dealing with car repairs, worried about bills, or stuck without transportation, running everything through your own coverage can take enormous pressure off you. Later, the companies can sort out who reimburses whom. That’s not your battle.

If you want help deciding which coverage to use — or whether to involve both companies — I can walk you through it. You don’t have to navigate this part alone.