The Not-At-Fault Premium Question
You were stopped at a red light when another driver rear-ended you. You filed a claim with Progressive to repair your car. The other driver's insurer accepted liability. Now your renewal notice shows a rate increase, and you cannot tell whether Progressive is charging you for an accident that was not your fault.
Progressive's surcharge structure treats not-at-fault accidents differently than at-fault ones, but the distinction is not as simple as fault versus no-fault. The carrier re-rates your entire policy based on claim history, state regulations, and whether you carry accident forgiveness. When you insure multiple vehicles on one Progressive policy, one driver's not-at-fault claim can re-price every car you insure.
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Get Your Free QuoteNational SR-22 Writers
21 carriers
Progressive is one of 21 major carriers verified to write SR-22 filings nationally, indicating broad underwriting appetite across risk profiles. Carriers with wider underwriting footprints typically apply more granular claim-history pricing.
NAIC carrier licensing data, 2026
How Progressive Prices Not-At-Fault Claims
Progressive does not automatically surcharge every not-at-fault accident. The carrier uses claim history as a predictive factor: drivers who file claims, regardless of fault, statistically file more claims in the future. This is not a penalty for being hit by another driver. It is actuarial pricing based on claim frequency.
State law determines whether Progressive can apply a surcharge to a not-at-fault claim. California, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma prohibit surcharges for not-at-fault accidents entirely. In most other states, Progressive can re-rate your policy after a not-at-fault claim, but the increase is typically smaller than the surcharge applied to an at-fault accident.
The surcharge applies at renewal, not mid-term. Progressive re-prices your entire multi-car policy when the policy renews, incorporating the not-at-fault claim into your household risk profile. If you insure three vehicles, all three are re-rated based on the claim history of the driver who filed the not-at-fault claim.
Progressive re-rates the entire multi-car policy at renewal, not just the vehicle involved in the not-at-fault accident, because the carrier prices household claim frequency across all insured vehicles.
Accident Forgiveness and Not-At-Fault Claims
In states where Progressive is permitted to surcharge not-at-fault claims, accident forgiveness typically does not prevent the surcharge unless you purchased the Large Accident Forgiveness endorsement, which covers both at-fault and not-at-fault claims. The standard accident forgiveness endorsement covers only at-fault accidents. If you carry the standard version and file a not-at-fault claim, Progressive can still apply a claim-history adjustment at renewal.
Large Accident Forgiveness is available only to drivers who have been with Progressive for at least five years and maintain a clean driving record during that period. If you qualify, the endorsement prevents a surcharge for one accident of any fault status. After the forgiveness is used, subsequent claims are surcharged normally. The endorsement does not renew automatically; once applied to a claim, you lose the protection until you re-qualify.
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State Rules That Block Not-At-Fault Surcharges
California Insurance Code Section 1861.02 prohibits insurers from using not-at-fault accidents as a rating factor. If you insure your vehicles with Progressive in California and file a not-at-fault claim, the carrier cannot apply a surcharge. The same protection applies in Massachusetts under 211 CMR 123.00 and in Oklahoma under Title 36 Section 3629.
In these three states, Progressive can only surcharge at-fault accidents and moving violations. A not-at-fault claim does not affect your premium, even if you file multiple not-at-fault claims in the same policy period. The restriction applies to all carriers writing auto insurance in these states, not just Progressive.
In the remaining 47 states, Progressive is permitted to apply a claim-history adjustment after a not-at-fault accident. The size of the adjustment varies by state and by the specifics of the claim. Comprehensive claims, such as hitting a deer or filing a glass claim, are typically treated separately from collision claims and may not trigger a surcharge even in states that allow not-at-fault rating.
At-Fault Accident Premium Range
$245–$275/mo
Drivers with one at-fault accident on record pay approximately $245 to $275 per month nationally, representing a 43 to 55 percent increase over clean-record premiums. Not-at-fault surcharges are typically smaller but still material.
Insurance.com 2026 accident/ticket study, Bankrate 2025
When to Shop After a Not-At-Fault Claim
Progressive applies the surcharge at your renewal date, not when you file the claim. You have a narrow window between receiving your renewal notice and the policy anniversary to compare rates with other carriers. If you wait until after renewal, you lock in the increased premium for the next policy term.
Carriers price not-at-fault claims differently. Some apply no surcharge at all; others apply a claim-history adjustment similar to Progressive's. If your renewal notice shows a material increase after a not-at-fault claim, request quotes from at least three other carriers before your renewal date. State Farm, GEICO, and Allstate all write multi-car policies and apply different claim-history pricing models than Progressive.
Compare Carriers Before Your Renewal Locks In
Progressive's not-at-fault surcharge is not universal. Other carriers writing multi-car policies may not apply a surcharge at all, or may apply a smaller adjustment than Progressive. The only way to know is to request binding quotes before your renewal date. If you insure multiple vehicles, the household-wide re-rating makes the total premium difference larger than the surcharge on a single car. Compare the total policy premium across carriers, not just the per-vehicle rate. Use the site's comparison tool to request quotes from carriers writing your state and vehicle count.