I've been wondering the same thing myself lately. When I was shopping around, I noticed accident forgiveness added about $40-$60 annually to my quotes, but I couldn't find clear stats on how much premiums jump after an accident here in Ohio. It seems like insurers intentionally keep that info vague. Maybe it's because hikes vary so much depending on your driving record and insurer? I'd be curious if anyone's had personal experience—did your rates skyrocket after a minor fender-bender, or was it manageable without the forgiveness option?
"did your rates skyrocket after a minor fender-bender, or was it manageable without the forgiveness option?"
A few years back, I had a minor scrape in Columbus—totally my fault, unfortunately. My premiums jumped about $250 annually. Not devastating, but definitely noticeable...makes me wonder if forgiveness would've paid off after all. Has anyone noticed differences between insurers?
My wife had a similar incident in Dayton last year—just a minor bump, nothing serious, but still her fault. Being the analytical type, I ran some numbers afterward (yeah, I'm that guy, lol). Here's how it broke down:
- Before the accident, we paid roughly $900/year.
- Afterward, the premium jumped around $180/year, which isn't horrible, but still stings a bit.
- I compared with a couple other insurers out of curiosity, and the difference was noticeable: one company quoted $250 extra, another only about $120 more.
Considering accident forgiveness usually adds about $50-$80 annually to your premium, you'd need to go accident-free for about 3 years to break even. If you're generally cautious and haven't had an accident in ages, it might not be worth it. But if you're prone to the occasional "oops" moment (like my dear spouse), forgiveness can definitely pay off in the long run...just saying.
"Considering accident forgiveness usually adds about $50-$80 annually to your premium, you'd need to go accident-free for about 3 years to break even."
That's pretty much how I see it too. For us, living near Cleveland, winter roads alone make accident forgiveness tempting. Even if you're cautious, all it takes is one icy patch or someone else's mistake... I've seen friends regret skipping it after just one minor fender-bender. Personally, I'd rather pay a little extra upfront than stress over every close call. Just my two cents.
I get the logic, but do insurance companies ever give you trouble actually using accident forgiveness? Like hidden conditions or fine print that makes it harder to claim? I've always wondered if it's as straightforward as they advertise...
