Which companies offer accident forgiveness? This question is about Accident Forgiveness Guide

Which companies offer accident forgiveness?

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This question is about Accident Forgiveness Guide

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@WalletHub • 10/21/21 This answer was first published on 10/21/21. For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

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Most major car insurance companies offer accident forgiveness—including Geico, Allstate, Progressive, State Farm, Liberty Mutual, and Nationwide. The two best accident forgiveness insurance companies are Allstate and Geico, according to WalletHub’s analysis.

Insurance Companies That Have Accident Forgiveness

Not every auto insurance company offers accident forgiveness to its customers. For example, MetLife, The General, and 21st Century Insurance are a few of the notable insurers that don’t offer accident forgiveness coverage.

But with most other insurance companies, you can qualify for accident forgiveness after 3-5 years—at which point it will be added for free or you will have the option to purchase it. Some companies will also allow you to purchase accident forgiveness without a waiting period.

You should add accident forgiveness to your policy if you frequently get into accidents or if your insurance company offers it for free as a loyalty perk. To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guide to the best accident forgiveness companies.

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Accident Forgiveness Eligibility by Company

Company	Free Accident Forgiveness	Purchased Accident Forgiveness
State Farm	State Farm customers for at least 9 years without any accidents	None
Geico	Drivers who are at least 21 years old with no accidents for at least 5 years	Eligibility varies by state
Progressive	Progressive customers for at least 5 years and accident-free for at least 3 years In most states, Progressive customers are automatically given accident forgiveness for claims of $500 or less	None
Allstate	None	Customers must qualify as a good driver, but exact requirements vary by state
USAA	USAA customers for at least 5 years with no accidents	Eligibility varies by state
Liberty Mutual	Drivers with no accidents or violations in the last 5 years, regardless of the insurer	None
Farmers	Farmers customers for at least 3 years without any moving violations or at-fault accidents	None
Nationwide	None	Drivers who have been insured by Nationwide for at least 6 continuous months
American Family	Drivers who have been claim-free for 5 years	Eligible if all named drivers have no at-fault accidents or driving violations in the past 1 year, and no more than 1 at-fault accident in the last 3 years
Travelers	None	Drivers must have had no accidents or major violations in 5 years

Since eligibility for accident forgiveness varies by insurer, it’s a good idea to check with your insurance company to see if you qualify. But in general, the following rules often apply.

Drivers Eligible for Accident Forgiveness:

Drivers who’ve been accident-free for at least 3-5 years.

Drivers who’ve been with the same company and accident-free for at least 3-5 years.

Drivers who pay for accident forgiveness.

Accident forgiveness is not available in all states. For more information, check out WalletHub’s complete guide to accident forgiveness.

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Can you add accident forgiveness after an accident?

No, you cannot add accident forgiveness after an accident in order to get that same accident forgiven. Accident forgiveness is designed to be purchased or earned in advance, so it cannot be applied retroactively after an accident.

If you recently had an at-fault accident and want to buy accident forgiveness for future crashes, some insurers will allow you to purchase an accident-forgiveness add-on. For example, Allstate offers Gold and Platinum auto insurance packages, which are available at an additional cost and provide accident forgiveness with no eligibility requirements. On the other hand, accident forgiveness from insurers like Progressive and State Farm requires years of a clean driving record, meaning you cannot get it soon after an accident.… read full answer

If you don’t have accident forgiveness already, you will likely be stuck paying increased premiums after an at-fault accident. However, having an at-fault accident is a good time to compare quotes, since every insurer will raise your premium by a different amount after an accident. And keep in mind that for small amounts of damage, it might be cheaper to pay for repairs yourself than to file a claim and increase your insurance costs in the long-run.

Accident forgiveness eligibility varies by state and insurer, so call your agent or insurance company if you’re wondering whether you qualify. And if you are paying higher rates due to an at-fault accident, check out WalletHub’s guides to Switching Car Insurance Companies and Car Insurance Discounts.

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