12+ years writing about insurance and personal finance
Emily is a widely recognized expert on personal finance and has authored several personal finance books. She’s a frequent guest on national and regional media.
5+ years in insurance and personal finance content
Ashley is a seasoned personal finance editor who’s produced a variety of digital content, including insurance, credit cards, mortgages, and consumer lending products.
Clinical Professor of Finance, University of San Diego
Dan is a well-recognized and widely quoted financial services expert, regularly appearing in a variety of national and local media as a subject matter expert.
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
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Cheapest recent rates for drivers with an at-fault accident
Recent car insurance prices for Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan, and more. Insurify features quotes from 100+ carriers including Aspire General, Sun Coast, and Mercury.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on November 20, 2024
Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from November 20, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on November 20, 2024
Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from November 20, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
The aftermath of a car accident can be stressful. Not only are you potentially recovering from injuries, but you may also have to take your car to a repair shop — or replace it entirely. Plus, your car insurance premiums will likely increase after an accident.[1]
But you can still lower your post-accident car insurance rates by searching for discounts, comparing insurance quotes, and exploring telematics programs. Here’s how much your car insurance cost might increase after an accident and what you can do to mitigate it.
Quick Facts
An at-fault accident can cause your rates to increase by 45%, on average.
Drivers with an accident on their records pay an average of $151 per month for auto insurance compared to drivers with a clean record, who pay $104 per month.
Accidents can stay on your record for three to five years.[2]
How much car insurance increases after an accident
Depending on who’s at fault, the severity of the accident, and how long ago the accident occurred, your insurer may decide to raise your rates by a little, a lot, or not at all. Here are several of the most common factors that can affect your car insurance premiums in the aftermath of an accident:
If you were at fault: 45% increase
If your driving decisions are what caused the accident, your insurance company is likely to raise your rates. People with clean driving records pay an average monthly premium of $104 for liability insurance, while drivers with at-fault accidents on their records pay an average of $151 per month. So your rates will go up by about 45% after an at-fault accident.
If you were not at fault: Varies
What happens if you were driving safely and another driver caused the accident? Even though it may seem unfair, insurance companies will often raise your rates even when you’re not at fault. Insurify data shows that the average driver in a not-at-fault accident pays $114 per month for auto insurance premiums — a nearly 10% increase over the $104 monthly premium that drivers with clean records pay.
California and Oklahoma state laws protect drivers from such rate increases after a not-at-fault accident. In those states, consumer protection laws prevent insurers from raising rates on safe drivers who are in accidents that other drivers cause.
Factors that affect car insurance rates after an accident
Several factors can influence whether your car insurance rates increase — and by how much — after an accident.
Accident severity
The severity of your accident will help determine how much your insurance company decides to raise your rates. For example, a low-speed accident in a parking lot will usually result in a smaller rate increase to your insurance premiums than an accident that caused extensive property damage to multiple cars.
Whether someone filed a claim
If you don’t file a claim, your insurance company will have no reason to increase your rates. This is a common course of action for drivers who are in a single-vehicle accident with minimal damage. For instance, if you scrape the side of your car while backing out of your garage, you might choose to pay out of pocket for the repair, especially if the repair costs less than your deductible.
But if you’re in a multi-car accident, it’s best to report that accident to your insurance company. If you fail to report an accident soon after it happens, your insurance company may choose not to honor your policy.
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Previous incidents
If you have previous incidents on your driving record, like speeding tickets or another accident, your insurer will likely raise your rates more than if you had only one accident on your driving record. The more incidents you have on your record, the higher a risk you are to insure.
How long does an accident stay on your record?
Most insurers will raise your rates for three years after an accident, according to the Insurance Information Institute. If you remain accident-free for those three years, your rates will generally go down again. But your insurance company may keep your premiums high for as long as five years after a major accident.
Insurance companies may also use LexisNexis Comprehensive Loss and Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) reports, which collect auto and property claims data for the past seven years. For auto insurance, insurers provide and aggregate claims information, including policyholder name and birthdate, date of loss, type of loss, amounts paid, and vehicle information.
More than 99% of auto insurers report data to this exchange, so it’s highly likely that your insurer reports your claims information to CLUE.[3] If you have an accident on your record, it could stay in the CLUE system for seven years, and insurance companies may be able to access it.
Good to Know
State motor vehicle departments provide motor vehicle records (MVRs) to insurance companies and potential employers that include your personal information, driver’s license number, accidents, suspensions, citations, and DUI convictions. MVRs include information from the past three to 10 years, depending on the state. For example, California MVRs can have data for three, seven, or 10 years.[4]
When does insurance go down after an accident?
Insurance rates typically decrease three to five years after an accident. For example, the average rate three to five years after an accident is $122 per month but decreases to $113 per month five to seven years after an accident. But the severity of the accident and the cost of damages affect how long your rates stay higher.
Insurify’s proprietary data of more than 70 million quotes can help give a sense of how much your premiums could increase and for how long. Take a look at these average quotes based on the time after an accident:
Time After an Accident
▲▼
Average Monthly Quote
▲▼
Less than one year
$161
1–3 years ago
$151
3–5 years ago
$122
5–7 years ago
$113
7–10 years ago
$108
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Cheapest recent rates for drivers with an at-fault accident
Recent car insurance prices for Toyota, Chrysler, Honda, and more. Insurify features quotes from 100+ carriers including Root, Anchor, and Safeco.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on November 20, 2024
Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from November 20, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on November 20, 2024
Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from November 20, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
Average cost of car insurance after an accident by state
Factors like population density, accident rates, and common severe weather events can affect the cost of car insurance in different states. Location can also affect car insurance after an accident.
For example, data in the table below, which shows the state-by-state average monthly car insurance rates after an accident, indicates that drivers in Louisiana pay some of the highest premiums in the country. Louisiana’s location on the Gulf of Mexico means it’s exposed to frequent severe storms that can lead to costly weather damage insurance claims. (Note that not all 50 states appear in the table below.)
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
How to reduce your car insurance rates after an accident
You can take several steps to reduce your rates after getting into an accident, including:
Take a defensive driving course
Many insurance companies offer a premium discount to drivers who complete an approved defensive driving course, which teaches you safe driving techniques and strategies for avoiding collisions. Taking such a course after an accident may not result in a discounted rate, but it could ensure any accident-related rate increase is more modest than it would’ve been.
Increase your deductible
Your deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket for a claim before your insurance kicks in. A higher deductible typically means a lower premium. Increasing your deductible can help you keep your post-accident insurance premiums affordable. But this option is only a good idea if you have a robust emergency fund or can otherwise afford higher out-of-pocket costs when you file a claim.
Reduce your coverage
Removing some coverage from your auto insurance policy can help lower your monthly rate. Every state except New Hampshire requires drivers to purchase liability insurance. But you may be able to cut other optional coverages, like comprehensive and collision coverage, if you have an older car that’s worth less than its repair costs. Just make sure your policy covers common losses.
Shop around for a better price
Insurers have unique ways of determining your monthly premium, so you may be able to find a rate that fits your budget by switching to a different insurer. While not all insurance companies will insure a high-risk driver — which is how many companies will categorize you post-accident — some companies specialize in such drivers. Getting quotes through a quote-comparison platform can help you identify which one will give you the best deal.
Consider Accident Forgiveness Coverage
Accident forgiveness is an optional coverage that will prevent rates from increasing one time after an accident. With this add-on, insurance companies typically forgive one accident per three to five years, depending on the insurer. While your insurance company may forgive your first accident in that time, it won’t forgive subsequent accidents, so your rates can still increase if you have more than one accident.
Car insurance after an accident FAQs
If you still have questions about how much car insurance goes up after an accident, check out the additional information below.
When do insurance companies raise rates after an accident?
Insurance companies can’t raise (or lower) your rates until you renew your policy. This means your premiums will remain the same after an accident for the duration of your policy contract. The higher rates will go into effect when you renew your policy for the next term. This gives you time to shop around for a less expensive insurer or find ways to reduce your rates before renewal.
How long do you have to file a claim after an accident?
The insurance industry doesn’t have a hard-and-fast standard for claim deadlines after an accident, though most insurance policies state that drivers should file a claim “promptly” or “in a timely manner.”
The insurance company needs to investigate your claim, and it becomes more difficult to determine aspects of the claim (such as who is at fault) the longer you wait to file it. It’s wise to file your claim as soon as you can after the accident.
Should you not file a claim if your car insurance rates will increase?
It depends. If the repair costs after a single-vehicle incident — like scratching the car’s paint while backing out of the garage — are less than the deductible, you may not need to file a claim. But if you’re in an accident with one or more other drivers or a weather event causes substantial damage, then you should file a claim to accurately report damages and receive reimbursement for repairs and any injuries.
How can you find cheaper car insurance after an accident?
Shopping around for quotes is the best way to find cheaper car insurance after getting into an accident. By comparing multiple insurers, you’ll be able to find the coverage that meets your needs at a price you can afford.
You may also want to consider quotes from car insurance companies that specialize in insurance for high-risk drivers. Since these insurers specialize in working with people who have a less-than-stellar driving record, you’re more likely to be approved for coverage.
Can you cancel your car insurance after an accident?
Yes. You have the right to cancel your car insurance policy at any time, including after an accident. Your insurance company will continue to process your claim, as long as your policy was in place as of the day of the accident. This is also true if your car is totaled in an accident.
But it’s not necessarily advisable to cancel your policy after an accident, in case you have a gap in coverage. Any gap in coverage, no matter how short a duration, will likely result in higher premiums in the future. Before canceling your policy, make sure you have another policy ready to start on the same day as the original policy’s cancellation.
Does car insurance increase after a no-fault accident?
Possibly. Rates can increase by 10% after a no-fault accident, according to Insurify data. While it may seem unfair, filing a claim — regardless of fault — likely increases your rates. But your rates won’t increase as much after a no-fault accident compared to an at-fault accident.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
No additional coverage
Full-coverage premium averages correspond to the same bodily injury and property damage limits in addition to:
Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
Emily Guy Birken is a former educator, lifelong money nerd, and a Plutus Award-winning freelance writer who specializes in the scientific research behind irrational money behaviors. Her background in education allows her to make complex financial topics relatable and easily understood by the layperson.
Her work has appeared on The Huffington Post, Business Insider, Kiplinger's, MSN Money, and The Washington Post online.
She is the author of several books, including The 5 Years Before You Retire, End Financial Stress Now, and the brand new book Stacked: Your Super Serious Guide to Modern Money Management, written with Joe Saul-Sehy.
5+ years in insurance and personal finance content
Ashley is a seasoned personal finance editor who’s produced a variety of digital content, including insurance, credit cards, mortgages, and consumer lending products.
Clinical Professor of Finance, University of San Diego
Dan is a well-recognized and widely quoted financial services expert, regularly appearing in a variety of national and local media as a subject matter expert.
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.