Insurance math just never seems to work in our favor...
That’s the part that gets me too. Accident forgiveness sounds like a safety net, but in Ohio, the surcharge for an at-fault accident isn’t always as brutal as people expect—depends on your record and carrier. I usually tell folks to check what the premium jump would actually be after an accident. Sometimes, the extra cost for forgiveness is more than you’d pay if you just took the hit and moved on. It’s not always a rip-off, but it’s not always a win either. Just gotta run the numbers for your own situation.
I’ve actually been down this road—literally and figuratively. A few years back, I rear-ended someone at a stoplight in Cleveland. Totally my fault, just wasn’t paying enough attention. I braced myself for my rates to skyrocket, but when the renewal came, the increase was way less than I’d feared. Turns out, my clean record before that helped a lot.
I’d been paying extra for accident forgiveness for years, thinking it was a no-brainer. After that incident, I did the math and realized I’d already paid more in “forgiveness” premiums than the actual surcharge ended up being. Felt a bit like I’d been paying for peace of mind more than anything else.
Not saying it’s useless—if you’ve got a couple dings on your record or drive a lot, maybe it’s worth it. But for me? I dropped it after that and just try to drive like my insurance agent’s in the passenger seat... most days, anyway.
Felt a bit like I’d been paying for peace of mind more than anything else. Not saying it’s useless—if you’ve got a couple dings on your record or drive a lot, maybe it’s worth it.
Totally get the “paying for peace of mind” thing. I did the same math after my wife backed into a mailbox (don’t ask), and yeah, the forgiveness cost more than the rate hike. Guess it’s like paying for an insurance blanket you never use... unless you’re super accident-prone.
I’ve run the numbers for clients a bunch of times, and honestly, unless you’ve got a history of fender benders or a teen driver, it’s usually not worth the extra cost. Ever notice how the “forgiveness” fee can quietly add up over the years? Sometimes it’s just cheaper to take the hit if something actually happens.
I used to think accident forgiveness was a must-have, especially with two kids learning to drive. But after looking at how much it tacked onto our premium over five years, I started wondering if we were just paying for peace of mind. We’ve never actually used it. Has anyone here actually needed to use forgiveness in Ohio? Did your rates still jump afterward, or did it really save you?
