How Much Will My Insurance Increase After a Car Accident in South Carolina?

Many factors can influence whether your rates will increase after a car accident. Nationwide, insurance rates can increase by 49% on average if you yourself caused the accident, though this varies by state and by insurance company. If you did not cause the accident, your rates most often won’t increase. Similarly, your rates shouldn’t increase if your insurance policy includes accident protection. This blog will review why and by how much your car insurance rates will increase after an accident, so read through carefully. And please consider calling a Darlington County auto accident lawyer if you’ve recently been in a car accident. You shouldn’t have to handle the headache of dealing with a car crash lawsuit on your own, and we will fight hard for you.

How Will My Insurance Increase After a Car Accident?

As we covered above, there might be several reasons at play for why your insurance increases the way it does, post-accident. These factors include:

• Whether you caused the accident
• Which state you live in
• How many previous claims you have
• What your driving record looks like
• How much damage you caused during the accident in question
• Your age

Age is an unexpected but often relevant factor, as some companies consider young drivers to be inherently higher risk.

After an at-fault accident, car insurance rates in the United States increase by an average of 49%, equivalent to an average of $750 or $62.50 per month. As an average, keep in mind that some accidents in some states may cause an increase greater or lesser than 49% and $750.

You might have good driver or claims-free discounts, which will most likely disappear after an accident. It may feel like the increase is more severe than it actually is, if your rates are not only increased because of the accident, but then increased again in the absence of accustomed discounts.

Your home state is also a big factor to stay aware of. California has one of the largest rate increases post-accident, whereas states like Alaska have some of the smallest increases, with increases in Alaska at just about 26%. South Carolina finds itself in the middle. Insurance rates in South Carolina can be estimated to increase between 43% and 61%.

Another consideration regarding your insurance rate is which insurance company administers your policy. Nationwide has an average of $419 for increases, as compared to Progressive, which averages insurance rate increases of up to $1,000.