Motorcycle accident forgiveness prevents your insurance rates from increasing after filing a claim after a collision. Each insurer creates its own rules regarding this benefit and applies the results differently.
Some insurance companies allow motorcycle accident forgiveness to serve as a good driving award, delivering a discount to your monthly premium. Others will waive a rate increase for your first collision.
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Automotive accident forgiveness, which is automatically included in policies in most states to some level, is not the same as the same kind of policy for motorcycles.
Many insurance companies do not offer motorcycle accident forgiveness.
Which Insurance Companies Offer Motorcycle Accident Forgiveness?
The most prominent insurance providers offering motorcyclists complete accident forgiveness are Markel (read its review here), Harley-Davidson, Progressive, and GEICO.
Nationwide offers accident forgiveness, but you can only use it once per policy, no matter how long you go without another claim after an at-fault incident. Read our full review on Nationwide here.
Some insurance companies require you to be a member or have an active policy for a specific time before qualifying for this benefit. USAA and Liberty Mutual customers receive free accident forgiveness after five years if every driver in the home avoids an at-fault accident during that time.
Progressive requires you to be a customer of theirs for four years and be without an accident for three to qualify for no rate increase, even though you receive benefits from the start. Your crash claims of less than $500 are forgiven automatically. Read a comprehensive review of Progressive here.
Foremost is another motorcycle insurance company that offers accident forgiveness on all plans. You cannot purchase a policy online; this coverage is more for track riders.
A final option is Safeco. You receive a check for 2.5% of your motorcycle insurance premium every six months you go without a claim. After five years, with no accidents or violations of any policy by any driver in the household, you won’t have your rates raised after your first accident.
Riders in California, New York, North Carolina, Connecticut, and Delaware are not typically eligible for this insurance coverage.
Do I Need to Have Accident Insurance Coverage for My Bike?
The riders who qualify for accident insurance coverage typically don’t have any violations or collisions on their driving records for 24 months or more. If you’ve received any tickets over the past year or two, your provider might not offer this benefit or add-on to your coverage.
Most insurance policies only cover the first accident, so a second or third incident won’t provide financial protection.
Although some companies provide motorcycle accident insurance for free, it usually comes at an extra cost. That means you’ll pay more while still having a rate increase if one of your discounts involves having no claims.
Without accident forgiveness, you could be paying a rate hike of 47% or more if you are at fault or considered chargeable (50% or more at fault) for a collision that includes an injury to others. If you cause property damage, the national average for an increase is 45%.
It might seem common sense to pay for this coverage if it isn’t included in your policy, but it might not be worth it for good riders.
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