In most states, Progressive automatically offers Small Accident Forgiveness for car insurance claims with a total of less than $500, with the option to upgrade to Large Accident Forgiveness later. Purchasing additional Progressive Accident Forgiveness as a coverage add-on allows you to have another qualifying accident forgiven in the same policy period.
Progressive Small Accident Forgiveness automatically applies to claims of $500 or less.
Large Accident Forgiveness is available for larger claims, as long as you have had a clean driving record with Progressive for the last five years.
Additional accident forgiveness can be purchased when you start or renew your policy.
Even the most careful drivers can have an occasional slip-up—but regardless, at-fault accidents can result in steep car insurance rate hikes after the fact. Yet some car insurance providers, including Progressive, offer accident forgiveness to help keep your
Does Progressive offer accident forgiveness for auto insurance?
Yes, accident forgiveness is available through Progressive. Drivers in most states are automatically eligible for Small Accident Forgiveness automatically—we’ll go over what that entails below—and you also have the option to purchase accident forgiveness as an additional policy add-on.
Convenient as it can be, however, not every state allows accident forgiveness, so where you live may affect whether or not you can take advantage of this benefit.
How Progressive’s accident forgiveness works
Accident forgiveness is available from Progressive in a couple of different forms:
Small Accident Forgiveness (Loyalty Rewards program): This protects your rate from rising if you have a claim of $500 or less. As of November 2022, Small Accident Forgiveness can be included with your policy as soon as it starts in most states—for free!
Large Accident Forgiveness (Loyalty Rewards program): This is available in most states after you’ve been a Progressive customer for five years. You’ll also need to have a
for that whole period of time—which means no accidents or violations up to that point. If you qualify, you also won’t be surcharged for an accident with a claim larger than $500.
Progressive Accident Forgiveness: Available in some states, you can choose to add this protection when you start or renew your policy. According to Progressive, if you go this route, you can still utilize Small or Large Accident Forgiveness—which means you could be forgiven for more than one accident within a single policy period. Your Loyalty Rewards accident forgiveness will apply first, and if you need to use your upgraded accident forgiveness protection, you can use it on the next eligible claim.
To find out if accident forgiveness is available in your state and whether you qualify for this coverage, contact a Progressive agent.
MORE: Should I report a car accident to my insurance company?
How much do your car insurance rates go up after an accident with Progressive?
The average annual rate for a Progressive customer after an accident, according to U.S. News, is about $2,470. (For comparison, the average rate across providers is about $2,040.) So accident forgiveness can definitely prove to be a welcome coverage option if it can save you from a costly post-accident surcharge.
It also helps to remember these rate hikes don’t have to be permanent. Depending on your location and the circumstances of the accident, it’s possible you could see your rates cool off again after a few years.
On average, drivers see their rates rise about $670 after a first at-fault accident, according to U.S. News and WalletHub experts. For additional at-fault accidents, rate hikes can become even steeper.
Not every accident will result in a rate increase, particularly if you weren’t at fault, but it can still happen in certain states. The increase is significantly more substantial if you were at fault for the accident.
:Available as optional coverage if all household members have been at-fault-accident-free for five years
How much does accident forgiveness cost?
Like any form of car insurance coverage, the cost of accident forgiveness will vary from provider to provider.
With Progressive, Small Accident Forgiveness for most drivers is completely free—and the same goes for Large Accident Forgiveness for customers who qualify.
The cost of purchasing accident forgiveness as a policy upgrade will vary based on different factors, like your location and level of coverage, but on average, it usually falls between $15 and $60 per year for most insurance providers.
Is Progressive’s accident forgiveness worth it?
Considering Progressive offers Small and Large Accident Forgiveness to qualifying customers at no additional cost, it’s pretty easy to make the case that it’s worth it.
But what about purchasing accident forgiveness coverage for your policy?
That might depend on your budget and your comfort level on the road. Accident forgiveness may be especially worth considering if your local area has particularly high accident rates.
You can also request a quote from Progressive and/or a few other providers to decide whether the additional cost of accident forgiveness coverage is appealing to you.
What to do if your Progressive rate goes up
If your Progressive rate does rise after an accident because you weren’t eligible for accident forgiveness, there are other ways you can trim down the cost of your premium.
Coverage limits
If your car insurance rate hike is putting too much strain on your budget, it might be a good time to reassess your coverage levels. At the very least, you’ll need to meet
, which is a telematics program that tracks your driving habits and can adjust your rate accordingly, which could pay off if you’re already a driver with good habits.
But it’s not just about your driving habits—discounts can also extend to other elements of your driver profile. For example, Progressive customers save an average of nearly 10% on their car insurance policies simply for being homeowners—even if they don’t actually insure their homes through Progressive.
Loyalty discounts
According to Progressive, 99% of its customers qualify for at least some type of car insurance discount, so there are plenty of other ways to save on your policy if good driver discount options won’t help you out much.
Most Progressive customers can enjoy some form of accident forgiveness as a default with their policy, but purchasing accident forgiveness coverage as an optional add-on to your policy can give you extra protection from a steep rate increase after an additional accident.
helped me change to Progressive after being with my previous insurer for 25 years. The app is amazing! It grabs your information and finds you a huge variety of choices between carriers and coverage levels.”—Leila S.
It might depend on the circumstances of your two accidents. Some car insurance providers may decide not to renew your insurance if you’ve gotten into too many accidents within a short window of time.
With Progressive, having both Loyalty Rewards accident forgiveness and accident forgiveness coverage on your policy can help you avoid accident surcharges for two qualifying accidents within a policy period.
Does Progressive have a deductible?
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Progressive has deductibles, but only for certain types of coverage. With collision and comprehensive coverage, for example, you’ll pay your policy’s established deductible before your coverage kicks in. On the other hand, you won’t need to worry about deductibles for liability insurance.
Your state may also determine whether you have a deductible for certain insurance types like uninsured motorist property damage coverage or personal injury protection (PIP).
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