A single accident can raise your car insurance premium for years. And multiple tickets or at-fault crashes can push you into “high-risk” territory where fewer insurers are willing to offer competitive rates.

But being labeled a high-risk driver doesn’t mean you’re out of options. We analyzed 20 major insurers to find the best car insurance companies after an accident based on pricing, forgiveness programs, complaint data, and claims-handling scores.

Learn more: What is high-risk car insurance, and who needs it?

American Family earned the top spot for best car insurance after an accident because it checks every box that matters to high-risk drivers. It had the lowest average full-coverage rate in our analysis and offers all four recovery-focused add-ons we scored: accident forgiveness, diminishing deductibles, new car replacement, and gap insurance. American Family also had one of the lowest NAIC complaint ratios.

American Family scored at the top of our analysis for the best car insurance overall.

American Family pros and cons

Pros

• Among the lowest post-accident rates in our analysis

• Has all four key protections ranked in our study

• Low NAIC complaint ratio compared to many competitors

Cons

• Average cost for full coverage car insurance: $201

• Availability: Regional (mostly the Midwest and West)

• Crash Network grade for claims handling: C+

• Coverage offerings: 11 options

• Available discounts: 17 types

• Digital experience score: 3.95 (out of 5)

Learn more: American Family auto insurance review

The Hartford ranked second for best car insurance for high-risk drivers thanks to a rare mix of below-average post-accident rates and strong recovery features. Similar to American Family, it offers accident forgiveness, diminishing deductibles, gap insurance, and new car replacement to help stabilize costs after a crash. It also has a solid NAIC complaint ratio, coming in just slightly behind American Family.

The Hartford also has some of the best car insurance for teens.

The Hartford pros and cons

Pros

• Among the lowest post-accident rates in our analysis

• Has all four key protections ranked in our study

• Relatively low NAIC complaint ratio compared to other insurers

Cons

• Average cost for full coverage car insurance: $204

• Availability: Nationwide

• Crash Network grade for claims handling: C+

• Coverage offerings: 13 options

• Available discounts: 11 types

• Digital experience score: 4.7 (out of 5)

Learn more: The Hartford auto insurance review

Allstate is also among the best insurance companies for high-risk drivers for a few reasons. First, it has the second-lowest NAIC complaint ratio of any company in our best list, just behind American Family. This low score suggests fewer customer issues relative to its size. It also checks every box for accident-focused protections, including accident forgiveness, diminishing deductibles, new car replacement, and gap coverage. Allstate’s post-accident rates aren’t the cheapest in our rankings, but they’re still slightly below average overall.

Allstate also has some of the best car insurance coverage, according to our analysis.

Allstate pros and cons

Pros

Cons

• Average cost for full coverage car insurance: $240

• Availability: Nationwide

• Crash Network grade for claims handling: D

• Coverage offerings: 15 options

• Available discounts: 11 types

• Digital experience score: 4.4 (out of 5)

Learn more: Allstate car insurance review

Farmers remains a strong option for drivers with accidents on their record because it includes every recovery feature we scored — from new car replacement to gap coverage. Its NAIC complaint ratio is also better than average, which suggests a solid customer experience overall. That said, its post-accident rates were a bit higher than the top three insurers in our rankings, and its CRASH Network grade was less competitive, which pulled its overall score down slightly.

Farmers pros and cons

Pros

Cons

• Average cost for full coverage car insurance: $242

• Availability: Nationwide

• Crash Network grade for claims handling: C-

• Coverage offerings: 17 options

• Available discounts: 19 types

• Digital experience score: 4.75 (out of 5)

Learn more: Farmers auto insurance review

Travelers rounds out our list of the best car insurance companies for high-risk drivers because it offers all four accident-focused protections we evaluated. Plus, its NAIC complaint ratio scored well in our analysis, suggesting fewer customer complaints relative to its size. However, its post-accident rates were the highest among our top five insurers, and its CRASH Network score indicates weaker claims handling performance compared to competitors. These last two factors kept it from ranking higher.

Travelers also scored among the top insurers in our analysis for the best usage-based car insurance.

Travelers pros and cons

Pros

Cons

• Average cost for full coverage car insurance: $244

• Availability: Nationwide

• Crash Network grade for claims handling: C

• Coverage offerings: 14 options

• Available discounts: 14 types

• Digital experience score: 4.65 (out of 5)

Learn more: Travelers car insurance review

We evaluated 20 major insurance companies to determine which offered the best car insurance for high-risk drivers and those with recent accidents. Our scoring model weighed post-accident rates most heavily, along with recovery-focused add-ons like accident forgiveness and diminishing deductibles, plus third-party data on claims handling and customer complaints.

The top spot went to American Family (5.0 stars), followed closely by The Hartford (4.8 stars). Allstate, Farmers, and Travelers rounded out the top five, each earning 4.3 stars for their combination of rate competitiveness and post-claim protection features.

See how all insurers performed below:

A single at-fault accident can raise your premium anywhere from 30% to 70%, depending on your insurer and where you live. On a $138 monthly premium, that could mean paying an extra $40 to $100 per month — and those higher rates often stick around for three to five years.

Insurers look closely at fault, severity, and your prior driving record. A minor fender bender may lead to a smaller increase, while a major crash or DUI can trigger a much steeper jump. Even accidents that aren’t your fault can sometimes affect your rate.

Some insurers offer accident forgiveness to prevent your first at-fault claim from increasing your premium. Otherwise, your best defense is comparison shopping. Different companies weigh post-accident risk differently, which is why high-risk drivers can see dramatically different quotes.

Learn more: What is an SR-22 for car insurance?

Every state requires liability insurance, which pays for bodily injuries or property damage you cause to others. But most drivers, especially those rebuilding after an accident, should also consider these core car insurance coverages:

Once you have that foundation in place, any of these optional add-ons can give you extra financial protection:

Learn more: Most common types of car insurance explained

After an accident, your premium can vary dramatically depending on the insurer. Some companies are far more forgiving than others when pricing high-risk drivers.

In our analysis of post-accident pricing, the average monthly premium for full coverage among the insurers we evaluated was $250 per month, according to data from the auto insurance marketplace Savvy Insurance Solutions.

Here’s how insurers compare on average monthly costs after an accident:

Learn more: Cheapest car insurance after an accident

An accident is one of the biggest rating factors insurers use, but it’s not the only one. When you’re labeled a high-risk driver, companies look at your full profile to decide how much to charge you. And each insurer weighs these risks differently, which is why quotes can vary so widely after a crash.

Here are the common factors car insurance providers use when calculating rates:

Learn more: Car insurance rates are climbing. Here are 4 reasons why and 11 ways to save.

Here are tips for finding the best car insurance after an accident.

After an accident, it can be tempting to cut coverage to lower your bill. But reducing liability limits or dropping collision coverage could leave you exposed financially if you’re involved in another crash. Instead, look for recovery-focused features like accident forgiveness or a diminishing deductible that can help protect you long term.

Learn more: How much car insurance coverage do I need?

Every insurance company weighs accidents differently. One insurer may raise your rate 30%, while another increases it 50% or more for the same incident. Comparing car insurance quotes is the best way to find the lowest rates.

Not all car insurance discounts are automatic. Ask about defensive driving course credits, telematics programs, low-mileage discounts, or loyalty perks. Some insurers reward safe driving behavior over time, which can help you rebuild your rate faster.

Also, some insurers offer accident forgiveness for free after a period of safe driving. But with other companies, you may need to purchase it as an add-on. If you’re already considered high-risk, this feature could prevent another premium spike down the road.

Learn more: Best car insurance discounts

Accidents typically affect your rate for three to five years. As time passes and your record improves, your risk profile changes. Take time at least once a year to evaluate your car insurance needs and make sure your policy’s coverages and limits still fit them. If you make changes during the year, such as buying a car, make sure to adjust your policy accordingly. You may also want to shop around again and switch car insurance companies if it makes sense for your finances.

Learn more: Does buying car insurance online save you money?

It can. Some insurers raise rates after any claim, regardless of fault, while others are more forgiving. The increase may be smaller than for an at-fault accident, but you could still see a premium hike depending on your insurer and state.

Most accidents stay on your record for three to five years. During that time, you can expect to pay higher premiums. More serious violations (such as DUIs) can impact your rates for 10 years or longer.

Learn more: What is the difference between DUI and DWI?

There isn’t one universal answer. In our analysis, American Family and The Hartford had the most competitive average post-accident rates. However, pricing varies by state and driver profile, so the cheapest insurer for one high-risk driver may not be the cheapest for another.

Tim Manni edited this article.

To determine the best car insurance companies for high-risk drivers and those with recent accidents, we evaluated 20 major insurers using a weighted scoring model. Our methodology focused on the factors that matter most after a crash: post-accident pricing, recovery-focused add-ons, claims handling performance, and customer complaint data.

Each insurer received a score based on the following:

1. Post-accident rates: 40% of score. Insurers with lower average full coverage premiums after an accident earned higher scores. For this analysis, rates were modeled using a standard “full coverage” profile with one at-fault accident factored in. Full coverage car insurance includes liability insurance, any state-required coverage, plus collision and comprehensive coverage. Insurers with more competitive full coverage rates after one at-fault accident earned higher scores.

2. Recovery-focused add-ons: 40% of score. We awarded points to insurers offering accident forgiveness (20 points), diminishing deductibles (10 points), new car replacement (5 points), and gap insurance (5 points).

3. Claims handling performance: 10% of score. We incorporated 2025 CRASH Network Insurer Report Card data to evaluate how insurers handle collision repair claims.

4. Customer complaint trends: 10% of score. We analyzed three-year average complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Insurers with fewer complaints relative to market share earned higher scores.

Unless stated otherwise, the estimates above are provided by Savvy Insurance Solutions (“Savvy”). Savvy operates a marketplace for home and auto insurance, plus an agency licensed in all 50 states. Estimates are generated using Savvy’s in-house machine learning models based on over 3 million data points, and include more than 15 of the largest insurance companies in Savvy’s nationwide data set. This includes data from more than 2 million insurance accounts connected through Trellis Connect, an in-house technology allowing consumers to “link” their insurance accounts before searching for insurance, and tens of thousands of policies bound by Savvy’s own agents. It takes into account a myriad of factors to create predictions, such as:

• Policyholder age

• Number of vehicles

• ZIP code

• Vehicle age

• Insurer

• … and more

Savvy creates estimates by running models against multiple inputs to the parameters of interest. For instance, the “teen driver” estimates were created by adjusting the policyholder age input into the pricing model while keeping all other variables steady from the baseline for “full coverage.” The models enable hyper-personalized estimates that take into account a plethora of user attribute permutations (e.g., teen drivers in specific states, teen drivers with new vehicles, teen drivers in specific states with new vehicles) to provide individuals with a unique and tailored experience. The charts above are a subset of the kinds of personalization Savvy can do.

The following are definitions used by Savvy when providing its rate estimates for various types of coverage.

Full coverage car insurance: A policy with comprehensive, collision, and liability coverage.

Average policyholder: A 48-year-old driver who owns a 13-year-old vehicle and lives in an average-income ZIP code.

Senior driver: A 70-year-old policyholder with full coverage car insurance.

Good driver: Drivers across all coverage types, vehicle types, and locations who have no tickets, accidents, or DUIs.