My auto insurance company raised my premiums after fixing my car. Is there anything I can do about that?

That's frustrating, particularly since the jack being in the middle of the road was not your fault. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do about your insurer increasing your car insurance rates – except to shop around for a new insurer. Also, before you buy a new policy, ask for the insurer’s surcharge schedule. It will show you how much your insurer intends to increase your rates after an accident. Those rates vary significantly among insurers.

Included in the rate filings car insurance companies are required to make with state insurance departments is how they will determine rates after a claim is made. In some states, insurance companies must give you a copy of the surcharge schedule.

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Interpreting a surcharge schedule isn't easy, and you might have to do your own calculations to figure out how much your rates would increase. But it may be worth your time to take this extra step.

The Insurance Services Office's (ISO) standard is to increase a premium by 20 percent to 40 percent of the base rate (the average rate charged in the state before discounts and other adjustments, plus the insurance company's claims-processing fee) after your first accident.

Many car insurance companies follow the ISO standard, but some insurers operate with their own surcharge formulas, which can be much higher than the ISO standard.

Of course, the company's surcharge schedule isn't the only thing to consider. You should also consider the insurer’s reputation, customer service and financial strength.

For more, see How much can your car insurance rates go up after one accident?