How Much Does Insurance Go Up After An Accident?

Your rates could jump by hundreds of dollars. To find cheap car insurance after an accident, shop around.

How an accident affects your car insurance rates

An accident affects your car insurance rates for three to five years on average, although this varies by state and company. Even if it was a minor crash, insurers perceive you as a greater risk and will almost always increase your rates.

To give you a better idea of how much more you’ll pay after an accident, NerdWallet compared average car insurance rates nationwide for 40-year-old drivers with a recent at-fault crash and those with no recent accidents, keeping all other factors the same. We used full coverage insurance policies for a 2018 Toyota Camry and a hypothetical accident that resulted in $10,000 worth of property damage and no injuries. Our analysis found that:

• Nationwide, a driver with an at-fault accident pays $846 more a year on average than a driver with no traffic violations.
• In 45 states and Washington, D.C., average annual rates were more than $500 higher for drivers who’d caused a recent accident than for those who had not.
• In 19 states, average rates increased at least 50% after an at-fault accident.
• In Texas, Louisiana and California, average rates increased by more than $1,300 per year after an at-fault accident.



See how your state fares.

Average car insurance rate increases after an at-fault accident, by state. H ere are few as an example

Cheapest car insurance companies after a crash

Average rates from the biggest auto insurers after an at-fault crash

For drivers who qualify, USAA frequently has the lowest rates we found both before and after an accident. But in some cases, USAA is no longer the cheapest option once a driver has caused an accident. In Alaska, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Dakota and Wisconsin, for example, USAA is cheapest for drivers with a clean record, but other companies return the lowest rates after an at-fault crash.

So if you’re insured with USAA and you get in an accident, it’s smart to compare car insurance rates.

It’s possible to get a lower rate after an accident

Shopping around after an accident is the best way to ensure you are getting the cheapest rate, and our analysis shows why:

• Shopping for the cheapest car insurance after a crash could save you big. Our analysis shows that shopping for the cheapest possible rate after a crash could potentially save you more than $1,100 a year, depending on your state.
• No single car insurance company is cheapest for everyone . Across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., 25 different insurers were the cheapest option after an accident.
• The cheapest insurer before an accident may not be the cheapest afterward . In about half of the states we looked at, some drivers who were insured with the cheapest company available would need to switch insurers to continue getting the lowest possible rates after an accident.
• Big-name insurance companies aren’t always cheapest. Although the nation’s 10 largest auto insurance companies together account for nearly three-fourths of the car insurance market, smaller companies returned the lowest rates after an accident in 25 states and Washington, D.C.  A state’s Farm Bureau insurance, for example, showed the lowest rates after an at-fault crash in seven states. Some smaller insurers are available in only a few states.
  

How to find cheap car insurance after an accident

Shopping around is the best way to find the cheapest rate, but there are other ways to ensure you are getting the lowest rate possible. You may be able to lower the rates on your current policy by:

• Raising your deductible , which is the amount reduced from a potential claim check from comprehensive or collision insurance. This will cause a greater out-of-pocket cost to repair your own car if you get into an accident in the future.
• Adding discounts to your policy could help offset the increase in your rate from the accident. Check with your insurer or agent to see if any more are available to you.
• Improving your credit. While improving credit is a long-term strategy, a healthy credit report will likely result in a more affordable car insurance rate in most states.
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What if the accident wasn't your fault?

If you weren’t to blame for an accident, you might see an increase in your auto insurance rate anyway. A study by the Consumer Federation of America found that some companies raise rates 10% or more for not-at-fault accidents.

In the 12 no-fault states, everyone involved in an accident files a claim to their own insurer for injuries. Because of this, residents of those states are more likely to see rate increases after an accident no matter who is at fault.

If you have accident forgiveness on your policy and this is your first accident, it’s likely that your rate won’t go up. And a few states, including Oklahoma and California, don’t allow insurers to increase your rates if a crash was not your fault. Some companies, such as USAA, even say they won’t raise rates if you aren’t responsible for an accident.

But regardless of whether the accident is your fault, it’s always a good idea to compare car insurance quotes to make sure you’re getting the lowest price.

Alternative car insurance for high-risk drivers

If you have multiple accidents or other serious marks on your record, it could be hard to get car insurance.

If no one will sell you a policy, you may need to look for a state-run assigned risk plan. To find your state’s high-risk insurance pool, locate your state in the directory of the Automobile Insurance Plan Service Office, an industry organization, or ask your auto insurance agent for help.