Guide
How to Compare Car Insurance Quotes After an Accident
A comparison method for drivers with a recent accident: disclose accurately, fix coverage, quote widely including non-standard insurers, and normalise costs.
By Nathan Price · Research Writer
Published · Updated
Answer in brief
Compare by disclosing the accident accurately (insurers see claims reports anyway), fixing a coverage set, and gathering four to six quotes—standard insurers plus one or two non-standard specialists if the accident involved injuries or a second incident. Normalise to annual total. The spread for identical coverage after an accident is often $1,000–$2,000 a year, wider than for clean drivers, because insurers disagree most about recent claims.
- 1
Pull your records
Driving record and claims history report; correct errors first.
- 2
Fix the coverage sheet
Liability 100/300/100 if possible, UM to match, collision/comprehensive with chosen deductibles.
- 3
Disclose accurately
Date, fault, amount paid. Misstatements can void the policy.
- 4
Quote four to six
Comparison tool, two direct, and non-standard if needed.
- 5
Normalise
Annual total with fees and any SR-22 filing cost.
- 6
Check forgiveness terms
Whether the new insurer offers earned forgiveness going forward.
- 7
Re-compare
At each surcharge step-down.
Quote finder
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Questions & answers
Who has the cheapest insurance after an accident?
It varies by state and profile; the spread is wide, so compare several.
Do I have to tell a new insurer about my accident?
Yes. They see claims reports; omissions can void coverage.
Do quotes affect my credit?
No. Insurance quotes use soft inquiries.
Terms used in this guide
- Premium
- The price of a policy, per six or twelve months.
- Non-standard insurer
- An insurer that specialises in drivers with accidents, violations or lapses.
- Claims history report
- An industry database record of claims on you and your vehicles, usually covering seven years.
Sources and references
Legal figures on this page (minimum limits, filing periods, statutory benefits) are checked against the primary law or the state insurance regulator listed below. Links and figures last verified Nov 2026.
- Facts + Statistics: Highway safety — Insurance Information InstituteStatistical dataCrash, injury and fatality trends used to explain why liability and injury coverages cost what they do.
- Nine ways to lower your auto insurance costs — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceShop at least three quotes; raising a deductible from $200 to $500 can cut collision/comprehensive cost 15–30%, $1,000 can save 40%+; drop physical damage on cars worth under 10× the premium; bundling, low-mileage and good-student discounts.
- Consumer insurance information — National Association of Insurance CommissionersConsumer guidancePlain-language guides from the body of state insurance regulators; links to every state's insurance department and complaint process.
- How to file an auto insurance claim — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceSteps after a crash: document the scene, notify the insurer promptly, understand the adjuster's role.
- What determines the price of an auto insurance policy? — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceRating factors: driving record, mileage, location, age, gender, vehicle, credit-based insurance score, coverage choices. Notes ZIP-code rating is prohibited in California and Michigan and gender rating is prohibited in seven states.
- Understanding your insurance deductibles — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceHow deductibles apply to collision and comprehensive and how raising them lowers premium.
- Car insurance — Consumer ReportsConsumer guidanceIndependent testing organisation's guides to comparing policies and insurers.
- Auto insurance basics — United PolicyholdersConsumer guidancePlain-language coverage explanations from a policyholder-advocacy non-profit.
Practical guidance on this page is original editorial work. Cited sources support factual statements and do not endorse this site. Dollar ranges described as typical or illustrative are editorial estimates, not figures from these sources.
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