Auto Insurance Claims: Insurance Claims, retroactive insurance

Question
Is it illegal to file a claim for a car accident on the date the insurance policy was established if the policy was started after the accident happened?

Answer
You could check with the state department of insurance or a lawyer or the police to see if it is "illegal". But I doubt that it is illegal, unless you intend to defraud the insurance company and lie on a claim form or statement or application. Just my opinion, but my guess is that it is not illegal, they will just deny the claim once they see it happened before you bought the insurance.

Now I have heard that insurance coverage is often retroactive to 12:00 midnight the day you buy the insurance, but I suspect there is some catch, otherwise everyone would go uninsured and buy a policy after an accident on the same day of the accident. Look in the policy or on the Declarations page of the policy to see when the policy is effective to.