Can you get car insurance after an accident?
You can still get car insurance after an accident but expect to pay higher rates. Your rates will also depend on the accident's seriousness and how many you’ve had. If you’ve had multiple accidents, your carrier might decide not to renew your policy because you’re considered too much of a risk.
If your insurance company drops you due to too many accidents, you may need to seek high-risk car insurance. For most, though, a rate increase is the main penalty.
“Accidents that show up on a driver's record will be seen negatively by an insurance company, likely causing an increase in premium,” says Lauren McKenzie of APlus Insurance in Liberty, South Carolina. “Along with the overall increase in premium, which is calculated based on the amount of points received, once drivers have an accident on their record, it may result in a loss of other discounts they were once receiving.”
That's a double hit you might take– higher rates plus a loss of any discounts you were enjoying, for example, your safe driver discount.
However, some insurance carriers have cheaper rates after an accident, and shopping around can help you find them.
Best car insurance after an accident
Among the top insurance companies in the nation, a few offer the best car insurance if you’ve had an accident. What makes them the best is not just cheap rates. Our experts analyzed multiple factors to determine the best car insurance after an accident.
One is the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint ratio. This is a ratio of the number of complaints filed against a company to the average of all companies.
The AM Best rating relates to the financial strength of a company and its ability to pay out claims– a very important factor.
The overall score is from the 2024 best insurance companies ranking done annually by our sister site, Insure.com. It combines the above factors and a survey of current insurance customers to rank each company, along with average rates for all drivers. The score for drivers with accidents is based on a rating of companies for all factors using average rates for drivers with an accident. See the full methodology below
| Company | NAIC Complaint Ratio | AM Best | Insurance.com score | After accident | Before accident | Rating for drivers with accidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | 0.52 | A++ | 4.3 | $2,210 | $1,672 | 4.7 |
| Geico | 0.77 | A++ | 4.2 | $2,786 | $1,356 | 4.3 |
| Nationwide | 0.66 | A+ | 4.3 | $2,579 | $1,530 | 4.4 |
| Travelers | 1.03 | A++ | 4.6 | $2,932 | $1,867 | 4.1 |
| Progressive | 0.73 | A+ | 4.1 | $3,565 | $1,984 | 4 |
| Allstate | 0.95 | A+ | 3.8 | $4,398 | $2,510 | 3.4 |
| Farmers | 0.77 | A | 3.7 | $4,682 | $2,809 | 3.3 |
| USAA* | 0.99 | A++ | 4.5 | $2,159 | $1,263 | 4.3 |
As you can see, USAA ranks pretty high across the board with a low NAIC complaint ratio, the highest AM Best score possible, the third highest insurance.com rating and the cheapest rates after an accident. USAA is only for members of the military and their families. State Farm, however, offers the cheapest rates available to everyone, with solid ratings.
Even though USAA’s rates are the cheapest on average, there’s a huge 70% increase in premium after you’ve had an accident. So, if you were already paying higher rates for another reason, the increase might make your costs a lot higher. State Farm increases your rates by only about 30%, but the average base premium is higher.
Best car insurance after an accident for young drivers
Young drivers already pay much higher rates than older drivers. If you have an accident as a teen driver, your rates will increase even more.
The table below shows how rates skyrocket for a 20-year-old after an accident, nearly doubling with Allstate and Geico.
State Farm remains your best bet for the cheapest premiums for young drivers with an accident, at $4,175 a year, and is also the top-rated company based on our data analysis.
| Company | NAIC complaint ratio | AM Best | Overall score | Annual premium before accident | Annual premium after accident | Score for drivers with accidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | 0.52 | A++ | 4.3 | $3,208 | $4,175 | 4.5 |
| Geico | 0.77 | A++ | 4.2 | $2,654 | $4,447 | 4.3 |
| Nationwide | 0.66 | A+ | 4.3 | $3,626 | $4,612 | 4.2 |
| Travelers | 1.03 | A++ | 4.6 | $3,724 | $5,313 | 4.0 |
| Progressive | 0.73 | A+ | 4.1 | $4,267 | $6,063 | 3.9 |
| Allstate | 0.95 | A+ | 3.8 | $4,607 | $8,070 | 3.2 |
| Farmers | 0.77 | A | 3.7 | $5,569 | $8,270 | 3.1 |
| USAA | 0.99 | A++ | 4.5 | $2,459 | $3,604 | 4.2 |
USAA is even cheaper, with good scores in customer satisfaction, claims processing as well as price, but again, their membership is limited to military members and families.
Best car insurance after an accident for seniors
Car insurance is generally higher for seniors over 70 for several reasons, one being they are more at risk for accidents than younger drivers. Also, seniors are statistically more likely to be seriously injured, resulting in higher medical claims. All of this factors into higher rates.
The cheapest car insurance company for seniors after an accident is State Farm, with an average monthly rate of $172. State Farm also ranked as the best overall for seniors with accidents. Rates are based on a 70-year-old driver.
| Company | NAIC complaint ratio | AM Best | Overall score | Annual premium before accident | Annual premium after accident | Score for drivers with accidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | 0.52 | A++ | 4.3 | $1,570 | $2,061 | 4.5 |
| Nationwide | 0.66 | A+ | 4.3 | $1,486 | $2,514 | 4.2 |
| Geico | 0.77 | A++ | 4.2 | $1,414 | $2,945 | 4.1 |
| Travelers | 1.03 | A++ | 4.6 | $1,869 | $3,111 | 4 |
| Progressive | 0.73 | A+ | 4.1 | $1,988 | $3,790 | 3.8 |
| Allstate | 0.95 | A+ | 3.8 | $2,424 | $4,275 | 3.3 |
| Farmers | 0.77 | A | 3.7 | $2,879 | $5,070 | 3.1 |
| USAA | 0.99 | A++ | 4.5 | $1,283 | $2,436 | 4.2 |
Cheapest car insurance after an accident by state
The cheapest car insurance after an accident will depend on a few factors, and one of them is where you live. Below is a list of the cheapest yearly and monthly rates in each state.
| State | Company | Annual Premium after accident | Monthly Premium after accident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | State Farm | $1,480 | $123 |
| Alabama | Nationwide | $1,734 | $145 |
| Arkansas | State Farm | $1,527 | $127 |
| Arizona | State Farm | $1,881 | $157 |
| California | USAA | $2,686 | $224 |
| Colorado | State Farm | $1,873 | $156 |
| Connecticut | State Farm | $1,555 | $130 |
| Washington, D.C. | USAA | $2,068 | $172 |
| Delaware | USAA | $1,505 | $125 |
| Florida | State Farm | $2,522 | $210 |
| Georgia | Auto-Owners | $1,861 | $155 |
| Hawaii | State Farm | $1,321 | $110 |
| Iowa | State Farm | $1,021 | $85 |
| Idaho | Auto-Owners | $910 | $76 |
| Illinois | State Farm | $1,342 | $112 |
| Indiana | USAA | $1,377 | $115 |
| Kansas | American Family | $1,512 | $126 |
| Kentucky | State Farm | $1,670 | $139 |
| Louisiana | State Farm | $2,580 | $215 |
| Massachusetts | State Farm | $1,222 | $102 |
| Maryland | USAA | $2,086 | $174 |
| Maine | Auto-Owners | $1,014 | $85 |
| Michigan | USAA | $2,770 | $231 |
| Minnesota | State Farm | $1,568 | $131 |
| Missouri | USAA | $1,297 | $108 |
| Mississippi | State Farm | $1,622 | $135 |
| Montana | USAA | $1,288 | $107 |
| North Carolina | Kemper Insurance | $1,793 | $149 |
| North Dakota | USAA | $1,078 | $90 |
| Nebraska | Auto-Owners | $1,616 | $135 |
| New Hampshire | State Farm | $1,065 | $89 |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Manufacturers | $1,561 | $130 |
| New Mexico | State Farm | $1,466 | $122 |
| Nevada | State Farm | $2,013 | $168 |
| New York | Progressive | $1,135 | $95 |
| Ohio | State Farm | $1,266 | $106 |
| Oklahoma | State Farm | $1,621 | $135 |
| Oregon | State Farm | $1,591 | $133 |
| Pennsylvania | Travelers | $1,460 | $122 |
| Rhode Island | USAA | $1,104 | $92 |
| South Carolina | State Farm | $1,721 | $143 |
| South Dakota | American Family | $1,458 | $122 |
| Tennessee | State Farm | $1,308 | $109 |
| Texas | State Farm | $1,722 | $144 |
| Utah | Geico | $1,770 | $148 |
| Virginia | American Family | $1,071 | $89 |
| Vermont | State Farm | $915 | $76 |
| Washington | USAA | $1,408 | $117 |
| Wisconsin | USAA | $1,312 | $109 |
| West Virginia | USAA | $1,247 | $104 |
| Wyoming | USAA | $1,490 | $124 |
How much does car insurance go up after an accident?
The amount your car insurance goes up after an accident varies by company. Just one accident can raise your rates by 30-70%.
That’s for an at-fault accident. Even an accident for which you weren’t at fault can sometimes bump up your rates, but it’s uncommon and the increase will likely be smaller.
How to lower car insurance after an accident
There are a few things you can do to lower your car insurance after an accident:
- Shop around and switch to another insurer
- Raise your deductible
- Take a driving class/go to driving school
- Take advantage of other discounts, such as good student discounts, low mileage discounts, etc.
- Reduce coverage you don’t need; if you have an older car consider dropping to liability-only coverage.
Getting affordable car insurance after an accident might be a little trickier, but if you shop around you can often find a good carrier with cheaper rates.
Methodology
Insurance.com, in the fall of 2023, commissioned car insurance rate data from Quadrant Data Services for drivers with and without accidents. Rates are based on a driver at age 20, 40 and 70 with good credit driving a 2023 Honda Accord LX with a full coverage policy (100/300/100 liability limits and $500 deductibles.)
The overall score is based on the annual Insure.com best car insurance companies ranking, which is calculated based on a survey of insurance customers, NAIC complaint ratios, AM Best scores and average rates. See the full methodology on the best car insurance companies page.
The score for drivers with accidents uses the overall score along with the same third-party ratings and rates for drivers with a single at-fault accident. Factors were weighted as follows:
- Survey: 40%
- Annual premium: 20%
- AM Best: 25%
- NAIC: 15%
