How Much Does Car Insurance Go Up After an Accident?

Key Takeaways

• After an at-fault accident in Utah, car insurance premiums typically increase by 20% to 40% and may remain higher for three to five years, depending on the insurer, the severity of the crash, and your driving history.
• Utah's no-fault insurance system requires drivers to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP), which pays initial medical expenses regardless of fault. However, filing a PIP claim does not automatically prevent future premium increases.
• Your insurance rates are influenced by several factors, including who was at fault, the severity of the accident, the type of claim, your prior driving record, and whether you qualify for accident forgiveness.
• If your injuries exceed Utah's no-fault threshold or another driver's negligence caused the crash, you may be able to pursue compensation beyond your insurance benefits. Speaking with an experienced attorney can help protect both your claim and your financial recovery.

After an at-fault accident in Utah, most drivers see their car insurance rates climb by roughly 20% to 40%, and that increase can stick around for three to five years. 

That kind of jump feels like a second penalty on top of the stress of the crash itself, especially when you are already dealing with a damaged vehicle, medical appointments, and time away from work. The good news is that the size of the increase depends on factors you can understand and sometimes influence. 

At Lance Bingham, we help injured Utah drivers make sense of their options after a collision, from protecting their claim to dealing with insurance adjusters who are looking out for the company, not for you.

How Much Does Car Insurance Go Up After an Accident in Utah?

The honest answer is that it varies, but the range is fairly predictable. 

In Utah, an at-fault accident commonly raises premiums somewhere between 20% and 40%, according to consumer insurance data from Insurance.com and industry reporting. Some serious crashes push that number higher.

Utah has no law forcing insurers to forgive a first accident, so the increase depends heavily on your insurer and the details of the crash. It helps to put the percentage into real dollars before you panic about it.

What a Typical Rate Increase Looks Like

Say you currently pay $1,500 a year for coverage. A 40% increase would push that to roughly $2,100 a year, or about $600 more. That difference lands on your very first renewal after the accident, not immediately after the crash.

Bigger claims tend to bring bigger increases. An accident involving injuries and significant property damage usually costs you more in premium than a minor fender-bender with no one hurt.

How Long an Accident Stays on Your Utah Record

Most Utah accidents stay on your driving record and affect your rates for three to five years. The first year is usually the steepest, and the surcharge tends to fade over time if you stay claim-free.

By around the four-year mark, many drivers see their premiums drift back toward where they started. After five years, insurers generally stop factoring an old accident into your rate at all, even if you switch companies.

Injured and overwhelmed?

We’ll handle the legal battle while you heal.

Request A FREE consultation

What Determines How Much Your Premium Goes Up

No two rate increases are identical, because insurers price risk using a long list of data points. Understanding what moves the needle helps you know what to expect on your next renewal notice.

Several factors shape the size of your increase:

• Severity of the accident: Minor accidents usually mean smaller increases than serious collisions with injuries or heavy property damage.
• Fault determination: At-fault accidents hit your premium far harder than no-fault claims do.
• Type of claim: Injury claims and property damage together can push the increase higher than a property-only claim.
• Your prior driving record: A clean history softens the blow, while past tickets or claims can stack up.
• Other drivers on your policy: Teen drivers or additional recent claims in the household can raise the total cost.
• Accident forgiveness eligibility: Some insurers waive the first at-fault accident if you qualified before the loss.

None of these factors work in isolation. Your final number reflects the whole picture, which is why two neighbors with the same accident can see very different renewal bills.

At-Fault vs. No-Fault Accidents: Why It Matters for Your Rates

Fault is the single biggest driver of a rate increase, and Utah's insurance system treats fault in a specific way. Utah is what is known as a no-fault state, which changes how the early stages of a claim work.

Sorting out whether your claim runs through your own no-fault coverage or through the other driver's liability policy matters a great deal for your wallet.

How Utah's No-Fault PIP Coverage Works

Every Utah driver is required to carry at least $3,000 in Personal Injury Protection, often called PIP, under Utah Code Section 31A-22-307. Personal Injury Protection is coverage that pays your initial medical bills and a portion of lost income after a crash, no matter who caused it.

Because PIP pays regardless of fault, you do not have to wait for a liability investigation before getting treatment. Utah's no-fault framework is set out in Utah Code Section 31A-22-306, and it is designed to get money to injured drivers quickly.

Does a No-Fault Claim Raise Your Rates?

Using your own PIP benefits after a crash that was not your fault generally does not trigger the same surcharge that an at-fault accident does. The claim runs through your no-fault coverage rather than penalizing you as the at-fault party.

That said, Utah does not prohibit insurers from adjusting rates after any claim. A large medical payout can still factor into how a company prices your future risk, so a not-at-fault accident is not always cost-free.

How Utah's Comparative Fault Rule Affects You

When more than one driver shares blame, Utah applies a rule that can quietly shrink or erase what you recover. Utah follows a modified comparative negligence standard with a 50% bar, set out in Utah Code Section 78B-5-818.

Here is how that rule plays out when fault is split:

1. A jury or adjuster assigns each driver a percentage of fault that adds up to 100%.
2. If your share of fault is less than 50%, you can still recover compensation.
3. Your recovery is then reduced by your own percentage of fault.
4. If your share reaches 50% or more, you recover nothing at all.

To make that concrete, imagine you are awarded $100,000 in damages but found 20% at fault. Your recovery drops to $80,000. If that same fault finding rises to 50%, you walk away with nothing.

This is exactly why insurance adjusters work so hard to pin part of the blame on you. Every percentage point they shift onto you lowers what they have to pay, and near the 50% line, a small shift can wipe out your claim entirely.

When You Can Step Outside the No-Fault System

Utah's no-fault system usually keeps minor injury claims within your own PIP coverage, which limits what you can recover for things like pain and suffering. There is, however, a threshold that lets you pursue the at-fault driver directly.

Under Utah Code Section 31A-22-309, you can step outside no-fault and file a claim against the at-fault driver once your medical expenses exceed $3,000, or if you suffer a permanent disability, permanent impairment, dismemberment, or permanent disfigurement. Meeting that threshold opens the door to compensation for non-economic losses that PIP does not cover.

For seriously injured drivers, this is where the real money in a claim often lives. A rate increase is frustrating, but it can be small compared to the medical bills and lost income a major crash leaves behind, which is why the fault question deserves careful attention.

Should You File a Claim or Pay Out of Pocket?

For a truly minor scrape with no injuries and minimal damage, some drivers decide that paying out of pocket beats risking a surcharge. That math only works when the repair cost is genuinely low, and no one was hurt.

Once injuries enter the picture, quietly handling things yourself becomes risky. Injuries can surface days later, repair estimates can balloon, and once you have paid or settled, it is hard to reopen the issue.

Before you decide, it is worth understanding what your claim is actually worth. A short conversation with our team can help you weigh a possible rate increase against the full compensation you may be entitled to pursue.

How Lance Bingham Helps After a Utah Car Accident

Dealing with an insurance adjuster alone puts you at a disadvantage, because the adjuster's job is to limit what the company pays. Our team steps in to level that field and protect the value of your claim from the start.

We gather the evidence that establishes what really happened, from photos and witness statements to medical records, so fault reflects the facts rather than the insurer's preferred version. We also look for every source of coverage available to you, including the other driver's liability policy and your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.

If a fair resolution is not on the table, we are prepared to keep pushing the claim forward. Our goal is straightforward: help injured Utah drivers understand their options and pursue the compensation the law allows.

Frequently Asked Questions About Car Insurance Increases After an Accident

Does insurance go up after a no-fault accident in Utah?

Using your own PIP coverage after a not-at-fault crash usually does not trigger an at-fault surcharge. Utah does not ban rate changes entirely, so a large claim can still influence future pricing.

How long does an accident affect your insurance in Utah?

Accidents generally affect your Utah rates for three to five years. The increase is steepest early on and typically fades if you stay claim-free.

Does filing a claim always raise your rates?

No. At-fault claims usually raise rates, while no-fault PIP claims often do not. The type of claim and your insurer's policies determine the outcome.

Can my rates go up if the accident wasn't my fault?

Sometimes. Utah has no law preventing insurers from adjusting rates after a not-at-fault accident, though the increase is usually smaller than an at-fault surcharge.

How much does insurance go up after a minor accident?

Minor accidents often bring smaller increases than serious ones, but the exact figure depends on your insurer, your record, and whether anyone was injured.

Get the justice you deserve

speak directly with an injury attorney today.

Get Your FREE Legal Consultation

Talk to a Utah Car Accident Attorney Before You Deal With the Insurer

Watching your premium jump 40% after a crash you may not have caused is genuinely unfair, and Utah's 50% fault bar means the way blame gets assigned can affect far more than your rates. When an adjuster tries to shift fault onto you, real compensation can be on the line, not just a higher renewal bill. That is a fight worth having with someone on your side.

At Lance Bingham, we help injured Utah drivers protect their claims and understand what they may be owed after a collision. Attorney Lance Bingham and our team handle the paperwork, deal with the insurance company, and work to keep fault findings honest, so your recovery is not quietly reduced. We take the pressure off you so you can focus on getting better.

If a car accident has left you facing rising insurance costs and mounting bills, reach out for a free case evaluation. Call us today at 801-477-8219 to talk through your options with a Utah attorney who will give you straight answers.