Editor
Olivia Grant
Olivia Grant is the editor of Car Insurance After an Accident. She spent nine years as an auto liability claims adjuster in Indiana, determining fault, negotiating with other insurers and explaining to policyholders why their renewal had changed.
She started this site in 2022 to give drivers the explanation she used to deliver one phone call at a time. She writes the rate-increase, claim-decision and recovery guides and reviews every page quarterly.
Olivia lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Based in Indianapolis, Indiana
- Covering auto insurance since 2012
- Focus areas: liability claims, fault determination, surcharge schedules, post-claim shopping
- Education: Indiana University (B.A., Economics)
Guides
Guide
How Much Car Insurance Goes Up After an Accident
Typical premium increases after an at-fault accident by claim size and state, when the increase appears, and why two insurers can react very differently.
Guide
How Long an Accident Affects Your Car Insurance
The three- and five-year lookback periods, how surcharges step down, when the accident drops off your record, and how state rules differ.
Guide
Should You File a Claim After a Minor Accident?
When to pay out of pocket and when to file—deductible math, surcharge exposure, the other driver's involvement, and the cases where you must report regardless.
Guide
How to Lower Car Insurance After an Accident
Steps that reduce a post-accident premium: shop insurers with lighter surcharges, raise deductibles, review coverage, telematics, discounts, and timing.
Entries
Entry
What to Do Right After an Accident (For Your Insurance)
The steps at the scene and in the following days that protect your claim and your rate: safety, documentation, reporting, and what not to say.
Entry
Adjusting Your Deductibles to Offset a Rate Surcharge After an Accident
Learn how raising your collision or comprehensive deductible can offset premium increases after an accident, and how to calculate whether the savings make sense.
Entry
How a Teen Driver's Accident Affects Household Car Insurance Rates
Understand why accidents involving teen drivers trigger severe insurance surcharges and learn strategic options to keep household premiums manageable.
Entry
Can Telematics Lower Your Car Insurance After an Accident?
Discover how usage-based insurance and telematics programs can offset accident surcharges through verified safe driving habits and mileage tracking.