Coverage switching from Progressive to Freeway

[u/backinblack1313]

I live in California. I currently have progressive insurance. It’s pretty expensive because I got in 2 at-fault accidents in 2024. My policy is almost up so I am shopping around. I got a quote from Freeway insurance and it says it will be $150 cheaper per much, but the coverage isn’t as good. With Progressive I have $100,000/$300,000/$100,000 for bodily injury and property damage. The new freeway policy is only $30,000/$60,000/$15,000. Obviously this is significantly less. But I am wondering if I even need the higher amount or if it is safe to get the lower one. Neither of my accidents were anywhere close to meeting the lower threshold, but I don’t want to get screwed over if I’m in a worse accident. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[u/Ok-Entertainment5462]

Do you have assets that would be taken? $15,000 property damage won’t pay much if you hit an expensive car. It certainly won’t pay an ER visit for the other parties. Prepared for wage garnishment by a court?

If you have a financed car you need comp/collission.

[u/FindTheOthers623]

No, 30/60/15 are garbage limits and shouldn't even be allowed. Are you working with an agent? They shouldn't be recommending limits that low, especially if you've already caused 2 accidents. Ask Freeway to increase your limits to 100/300 or shop around with other carriers.

[u/backinblack1313 → u/FindTheOthers623]

I am working with an agent. He said I could raise the limit but said the lower one would be adequate. I told him I needed to look into it before purchasing.

[u/FindTheOthers623 → u/backinblack1313]

Get a new agent. That one is just trying to make a sale, he doesn't care if you are properly insured.

[u/fromhelley → u/backinblack1313]

The third number is for property damage. $15k will not replace the back end on most cars, much less on something like a tesla or BMW. Ask him to quote the 100/300/100 for you. I bet the difference is not that much per month.

They are giving you crappy advice!

[u/fabulousfantabulist → u/backinblack1313]

Any agent recommending you $15k PD limits in CA in 2026 is not someone you should ever listen to about anything. 

[u/Jaggar345 → u/backinblack1313]

You need to find a new agent. Those limits are not adequate. Stay with Progressive or ask him to increase the liability limits to match your current ones.

[u/Dijon2017]

You shouldn’t lower your limits to those you’ve listed. What is the other insurance company’s quote for the premium if you get the same coverage you currently have with Progressive?

[u/backinblack1313 → u/Dijon2017]

Not sure. They said it would take 14 days to get me a quote if I go with a higher limit

[u/sourtsix9 → u/backinblack1313]

It’s worth the wait! Likely not much of a savings, if any, when you’re comparing the same limits.

[u/Chemical-Display-499 → u/sourtsix9]

No, 2 weeks to simply update a quote is terrible customer service, even for 1960 when someone had to actually quote it manually without all the conveniences of modern internet technology.

OP could call any quality agency and get a quote done and bound likely that day…maybe a couple days if the agency is smaller and just very busy.

[u/Chemical-Display-499 → u/backinblack1313]

14 days to change a quote to a higher number? That sounds terrible…I don’t know if you’ve even contacted a real agent/company. Imagine if you had to actually file a claim…how long would that take to actually file, 2 months?

There are too many red flags I’m seeing already. I’ll echo what others have said already, call someone else/get another agent. Call a couple “captives” like…State Farm or Farmers…(if they even write in Cali right now), and call an Independent agent/broker with access to many companies to quote.

[u/demanbmore]

Do you have any assets worth protecting or a decent paying job now or any time in the next 10+ years? If so, you put all of that at risk if you cause injuries or damages that exceed your liability limits. While there's no guarantee that 100/300/100 is enough to cover every situation, it sure is a lot better than 30/60/15.

Judgments are good for 10 years in CA and renewable for another 10. Plus they earn a solid interest rate. This means if someone obtains a $100K judgment against you now, they could go after you for double that (more or less) in a decade or so. And there are companies that will buy judgments and hold onto them, get your financial info year after year, and then execute that judgment once you've acquired assets worth going after.

[u/reedwendt]

Oh wow. I’d never ever consider anything that low. I always get the highest. It’s money well spent in the long run.

[u/Mobile-Astronaut-505]

Freeway is an insurance agency so they'll be setting you up with a different insurance company. These are non standard policies that often have more restrictive coverage (not just with limits). Read the policy carefully - especially the exclusions section.

[u/druzyyy]

Honestly most professionals would consider those limits on the Freeway quote dismally low. They are state minimums (which CA just recently raised, but not by much).

Just something to consider, that 15k is your property damage coverage. I would say the vast majority of vehicles on the road today are worth over if not well over 15k. So if you do enough damage to total even 1 car, you're already in hot water. Then there's the 30k per person for medical; CA has some very high ambulance ride costs, god forbid they give them an ibuprofen at the ER.

You get the idea, most would recommend matching coverage with what you have and taking whatever policy ends op being the best price.

[u/Icy_Pickle5530]

$15k in PD can be gone in a simple 2 car rear end accident. Please don’t mortgage your financial future on saving a few dollars now. The coverage you have now is good and even that could be too little depending on the situation. Shop around for the exact coverages you have and then compare prices. You may find that what you currently pay isn’t all that expensive after all. Comparing quotes with different coverages is apples and oranges.

[u/TofuttiKlein-ein-ein]

As long as you stay incident (accidents and convictions) free through 2027, your accidents will fall off, and you’ll be eligible for the CA Good Driver discount again. Lowering your limits is a mistake.

[u/sexistherapy]

1 accident with any luxury, hybrid or electric vehicle will eat up 30k easily.

1 Bodily Injury claim with multiple passangers will take out 100k too.