Claims that can increase your insurance rates (or result in cancellation)
1) Dog bites - the majority of insurance companies ask what breed of dog you own when you purchase a new policy. You may have a dog of "acceptable" breed or may not have a dog at that time. However, you may get a dog on the "unacceptable" list in the future. If you then have a dog bite claim, your home insurance will probably be non-renewed and getting another homeowner's policy for the next 3 years will be close to impossible. The liability in your homeowner's policy will pay for dog bites and the claims are one of the highest average claims in the nation. Typical dogs on the unacceptable list are Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, Akitas, Chows and Wolf Breeds.
2) Water claims - they tend to set off red flags for insurers because one water claim often leads to another when there are pipe leaks. And mold is still an issue even though not as much as in past years (plus mold is now limited in homeowner's policies). If you are buying a home, it would be wise to find out if there were prior water claims because you may not be able to get insurance if the home you are purchasing has a history of water claims. One of the important things to think about when you have water damage is "can I afford to pay for this myself". If you have a $500 deductible and the minor damage comes to, say, $800, do you really want the insurance company to know you've had a water claim to only get $300. On the other hand, if you come home to a house full of water, you call in the claim.
3) Slip and fall claims - usually because of some hazardous or dangerous condition on your property. Probably one won't do a lot to your insurance but a 2nd medical or liability claim will certainly either raise your rates or result in non-renewal.
4) Auto rate increases will generate if you've added tickets or accidents to your record. Some companies do not keep you as a customer if you receive multiple violations or major violations such as DUI, Reckless Driving, or severe accidents including bodily injury. The good news is that there is always an excellent company for your auto insurance regardless of your record - but the rate changes with your activity.
You may think that paying out of pocket for damage covered by insurance is distasteful; however, most insurance companies look "harder" at frequency of claims than severity of claims. I had a call from a lady that was being non-renewed by her company because of 4 claims in the past 2 years - and she was not paid more than $500 for any claim. Yet, I am sure that if lightning had struck her house and it had burned down that she would have been renewed without question.
I recently read a quote worth remembering:
"It gets back to the notion of what insurance is all about: bailing you out from a large disaster, rather than the small things that annoy rather than harm."