insurance surcharge

Massachusetts. over the summer my brakes failed, i swerved to avoid hitting the car infront of me and crashed into a fence. the property owners insurance paid for the damage(even though, they made a driveway where the fence was anyway). but i still got a surcharge notice for being an unsfae driver. i appealed because i do not see myself as an unsafe driver, i see myself as a safe driver opporating an unsafe vehicle. i have a note from a mechanics stating that the car's brakes did infact fail. do you think i could win the appeal. also it was during the day with no snow or other obsticals and i was not speeding a bit. please respond.

There's more to being a safe driver than just sitting behind the wheel. A driver is responsible for the upkeep of a private recreational vehicle. Brakes just don't quit (unless some outside circumstance exists). I'm sure there were signs over the summer that your brakes were going bad, a noise here a vibration there or having to press the pedal to the floor to get the vehicle to stop. I don't know your state laws or insurance laws but I am just bringing up information that might be used against you if you decide to appeal. If you have the right to appeal, than appeal. What's the worse that can happen?