States Ranked by Car Accident Repair Costs: The Most and Least Expensive

Car insurance rates can vary significantly depending on where you live, but the cost of collision repairs can also play a role in how much you pay after an accident. According to recent research from the Dolman Law Group, drivers in certain states pay significantly more for collision repairs than others. In fact, the research found that drivers in Rhode Island pay almost five times the amount for repairs compared to drivers in Hawaii, the cheapest state for collision repairs.

Top 10 Most Expensive States for Collision Repairs

Rhode Island: $1,987 per capita
Georgia: $1,761
Connecticut: $1,712
New Jersey: $1,577
Delaware: $1,518
Tennessee: $1,472
Wyoming: $1,457
Louisiana: $1,413
Maine: $1,396
Kentucky: $1,378

One of the key reasons for the high repair costs in Rhode Island is the low percentage of licensed drivers in the state, with only 68.8 percent of the population holding a license. This leads to higher per capita costs, whereas states with higher license percentages can spread repair costs across a larger portion of the population. Despite the high repair costs in Rhode Island, the state has the lowest fatality rate of any state in the study.

However, Rhode Island lawmakers recently passed a bill that extends the age of vehicles in which insurers can refuse to pay for non-OEM parts during repairs. Insurers can now refuse non-OEM parts on vehicles up to 72 months old, potentially further increasing repair costs in the state.

Alternatively, there are many states where the average repair costs fall below $1,000:

Hawaii: $410
Pennsylvania: $520
Oregon: $669
Minnesota: $674
California: $736
Virginia: $756
Idaho: $758
West Virginia: $815
Arizona: $817
Washington: $832

Earlier this year, Autoblog also covered a similar topic using data from RepairPal, which ranked California as the most expensive state and West Virginia as the least expensive for collision repairs. Dolman Law Group’s analysis took into account the number of licensed drivers, the financial impacts of crashes, and the number of fatal accidents in each state to determine the rankings.

Overall, where you live can have a significant impact on how much you pay for collision repairs after an accident, so it’s important to consider this factor when choosing car insurance coverage.

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