- If you’ve never had a claim, accident forgiveness just feels like paying for nothing.
- But once you get dinged with an at-fault, especially in Ohio, your rates can jump fast.
- I had a buddy who got rear-ended, technically his fault, and his premium shot up for years. He still grumbles about skipping the forgiveness add-on.
- For me, I’d rather put that extra cash toward better maintenance or parts for my classic, but if you’re daily driving in city traffic? Probably worth it.
- Bottom line: If you’ve got a clean record and don’t drive much, skip it. If you rack up miles or have bad luck, it’s not the worst idea.
- Insurance companies aren’t doing us any favors, but sometimes you gotta pick your battles...
I get where you’re coming from about putting that money into maintenance instead. For folks like us who mostly drive classics on weekends, it feels like overkill to pay for accident forgiveness. But I’ve always wondered—does anyone know if insurers actually treat classics differently when it comes to rate hikes after an at-fault? Or do they lump us in with the daily drivers? Seems like a gray area, especially in Ohio where rates can be all over the place.
I’ve wondered the same thing, honestly. I daily a pretty boring sedan, but my brother’s got a ’71 Chevelle he only takes out on nice Sundays, and his insurance setup is a whole different animal than mine. He’s with one of those classic car insurers—Hagerty or Grundy, can’t remember—which apparently has different rules about mileage, storage, all that stuff. From what he’s said, they seem more forgiving (no pun intended) if you’re not racking up miles or claims every year. But then again, he hasn’t had an at-fault accident to really test how “forgiving” they are when it comes to rates.
On the other hand, I did have a fender bender in my regular car a couple years back—my fault, low speed, nobody hurt—and my rates jumped way more than I expected. I asked my agent if it would’ve been any different if it was a classic and she just kind of shrugged and said it depends who insures it and how they rate those vehicles. Super helpful, right? It does feel like the rules are made up as they go along sometimes.
One thing I do wonder: does anyone actually read those policy details front to back? Because half the time I feel like the “accident forgiveness” terms are buried in fine print and only kick in under super specific circumstances. Like, maybe it’s worth it for people with new cars or teens on their policy, but for weekend drivers with classics… not so sure.
Curious if anyone here has actually had their rates go up after an at-fault in a classic? Or is it just another insurance boogeyman we worry about more than we need to?
I’m with you on the fine print—half the time I feel like I need a law degree to figure out what’s actually covered.
I tried once when my kid got his license, but my eyes glazed over after page three. My accident was in a minivan, and the “forgiveness” didn’t stop my rates from jumping either. Makes me wonder if it’s just a marketing thing for most people. Has anyone had luck actually using accident forgiveness on a family hauler, or is it just another checkbox on the bill?“does anyone actually read those policy details front to back?”
My accident was in a minivan, and the “forgiveness” didn’t stop my rates from jumping either. Makes me wonder if it’s just a marketing thing for most people.
I totally get the “eyes glazed over after page three” part—those policy docs are brutal. I’ve got accident forgiveness on my policy, but honestly, after a fender bender in my SUV, my premium still crept up. Maybe it’s more about peace of mind than actual savings? Or maybe it works better for some than others...
