Unfortunately, it is a fact of life that many car insurance companies make you pay for an at-fault accident even after the repairs are done. Even one at-fault accident can cause your auto insurance rates to increase. To avoid this situation, a number of auto insurance companies offer accident forgiveness which you oftentimes have to pay for to keep your rates from going up. Furthermore, there are some auto insurance companies that are still willing to offer you good rates after an at-fault accident. Keep reading to find out where to obtain the best cheap auto insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident.
- Winners for Best Cheap Insurance for Drivers with At-Fault Accident
- Who Offers the Best Rates for Drivers with an At-Fault Accident?
- Claims Satisfaction for Companies with Best Rates for Driver with At-Fault Accident?
Winners For Best Cheap Insurance For Drivers with an At-Fault Accident:
- Erie
- Nationwide
- Geico
- USAA
- Amica
- Mercury
- American Family
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Who Offers the Best Rates for Drivers with an At-Fault Accident?
Here is a list of the average annual premiums after an at-fault accident for major auto insurance companies.
| Insurer | Avg. Annual Rates after At-Fault Accident | Avg. Monthly Rates after At-Fault Accident |
|---|---|---|
| Geico | $1,556 | $130 |
| Progressive | $2,211 | $184 |
| State Farm | $1,501 | $125 |
| Allstate | $2,256 | $188 |
| 21st Century | $1,254 | $104 |
| Allied | $1,203 | $100 |
| American Family | $975 | $81 |
| Amica | $1,135 | $95 |
| AAA | $3,942 | $328 |
| Erie | $760 | $63 |
| Farmers | $1,674 | $139 |
| Infinity | $4,420 | $368 |
| Liberty Mutual | $2,080 | $173 |
| Mercury | $1,108 | $92 |
| MetLife | $1,654 | $138 |
| Nationwide | $1,453 | $121 |
| Safeco | $1,939 | $162 |
| USAA | $933 | $78 |
*It is important to note that the premiums above do not take into account your age, location, overall driving record, coverage options, vehicle type, gender, marital status, credit score, and other factors that could affect your car insurance rate. Therefore, the average annual rates listed above for a person with an at-fault accident may not be the rates you receive if you try to obtain auto insurance from one of these companies.
The average car insurance premium increases from 30 – 40% after an at-fault accident. As you can see, Erie, USAA, American Family, Geico, Mercury, Amica, and Nationwide offer the best rates for a person with an at-fault accident. USAA, however, only provides auto insurance to its members who must be either current or former military or their family members.
However, these auto insurance companies do not provide insurance in all states.
Erie auto insurance is only available in 11 states. These states include Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin and well as Washington D.C.
American Family is available in 19 states. These states include Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Mercury Insurance is only available in 11 states as well. Mercury Insurance is available in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.
Geico and Nationwide are two large national auto insurance companies that offer good rates, even after an at-fault accident. For drivers that are not members of USAA and do not live in Erie or American Family’s coverage area, these auto insurance companies may be your best bet. 21st Century and Farmers receive honorable mentions for rates. Although these companies were not in the group of insurance companies offering the cheapest rates, these two well-known reputable auto insurance companies’ rates are on the second least expensive tier.
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Claims Satisfaction Rating For The Companies Offering The Best Rates After an At-Fault Accident
Rates are not the only factor that you should consider when choosing an auto insurance company. When selecting an auto insurance company, even after an at-fault accident, the company’s level of claims satisfaction should be a primary concern.
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Every year, J. D. Power conducts a survey of 10,000 consumers who have filed an auto insurance claim in the past six months to see how satisfied they were with their auto insurance company’s claims handling. Based on the results of the survey, auto insurance companies are then ranked on a 1000-point scale.
Here is a glimpse of how the companies with the best rates ranked in terms of claims satisfaction:
- USAA – 903/1000
- Erie – 891/1000
- Farmers – 874/1000
- Industry Average – 861/1000
- Nationwide – 858/1000
- Geico – 857/1000
- American Family – 853/1000
- Mercury – 821/1000
Some auto insurance companies that offer good rates for people with an at-fault accident still have a high claims satisfaction rating. USAA only insures people affiliated with the military and Erie has a limited service area. Therefore, Nationwide and Geico may be the front-runners for most people when it comes to auto insurance companies that insure people with at-fault accidents. American Family is slightly under the industry average. Mercury’s claims satisfaction rating, however, may be a cause for concern.
>>MORE: How Much Do Insurance Companies Pay For A Totaled Car?
A Final Word
If you are in an at-fault accident, there is a good chance your auto insurance rates will increase as a result. Many auto insurance companies offer accident forgiveness to keep your rates from going up after your first at-fault accident. Travelers Insurance actually extends accident forgiveness to two at-fault accidents. Without this type of coverage that you often have to pay for, expect your auto insurance company to charge you for having an accident for the next few years. The average rate of insurance increases by 30 – 40% after an at-fault accident. Some auto insurance companies, however, are still willing to offer you a good rate after an at-fault accident. USAA, Erie, American Family, Geico, and Nationwide all have good rates as well at least decent claims satisfaction.