Car insurance providers which offer accident forgiveness plans include Allstar, The Hartford, State Farm, Nationwide, Progressive, GEICO, Berkshire Hathaway, Nationwide and Liberty Mutual. This is an additional insurance coverage which prevents your premiums being increased following your first accident with that car insurance company.
If you have a car accident and it’s not your fault accident forgiveness won’t help you, but you will have to talk to an experienced personal injury attorney who will assess your eligibility to file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver and his or her insurer.
What Accident Forgiveness Plans are Available
There is no standard accident forgiveness plan as each insurer has its own version. Also it’s not always marketed under the same name.
For example, Allstate offers what’s called Platinum and Gold protection plans. Progressive and Nationwide’s auto insurers use identical terms, but their requirements for accident forgiveness eligibility are not quite the same. A few auto insurers such as Berkshire Hathaway and affiliate company GEICO offer similar levels of protection, but they don’t cover every state.
Accident Forgiveness Explained
The easiest way to define accident forgiveness is when an insurance company allows policy holder forgiveness and doesn’t increase premiums when they are the cause of the collision. Overall, even when a no–fault accident takes place, premiums might be increased just a little.
With an at-fault accident, substantial increases in premiums might take place. Under accident forgiveness good drivers who don’t have a poor driving record do not get a premium increase for a first accident only.
It’s not a simple insurance to understand as there are precise limitations and conditions attached to it and these may vary depending on your insurance provider. Some car insurers might extend this type of insurance to anyone else you have included on your policy.
Eligibility for Accident Forgiveness
If you wish to be considered for accident forgiveness, you have to deal with your car insurance company directly. They set their own rules.
For example, if you are going to insure with Allstate, you automatically qualify for accident forgiveness once you join the ‘Your Choice Auto’ plan. Berkshire Hathaway and GEICO require all customers to be accident-free for at least five years. The same conditions apply to Liberty Mutual.
Nationwide car insurance company and Progressive offer the shortest accident free period and any customers need to possess a clean driving record for three years before they are eligible for this option. State Farm adheres to the strictest standards so their customers need to be free of accidents for at least nine years if they wish to be included in the plan called ‘Forgive the First Accident.’
It’s not all bad news as each insurance company is prepared to offer this insurance product to any new applicants plus their older customers. They often use the customer’s complete driving history including any time with another car insurance company.
When You May Need a Personal Injury Lawyer
Accident forgiveness products are great additions for a car driver but they don’t cover accidents that are caused by someone else. If you have been injured in a car accident caused by another driver, you may need to contact a personal injury attorney to help you file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver and insurer.
If successful, a personal injury claim will cover you for the cost of your medical treatments, loss of any wages while recovering and an amount for the pain and suffering you have endured due to a car accident that was not your fault. To get started, complete the Free Case Evaluation on this page.
