Is Donegal Mutual Good for Auto Insurance?
Last Updated on April 30, 2023
Donegal Insurance Group, also known as Donegal Mutual Insurance Company, is an insurance company headquartered in Marietta, Pennsylvania.
Founded in 1889, Donegal Mutual sells car insurance to drivers across most of the United States. The company tends to have strong ratings for claims satisfaction and customer service. But is Donegal Mutual good for auto insurance? Or are there better options for drivers in Pennsylvania?
Find out everything you need to know about Donegal Mutual’s auto insurance products and services today in our review.
Key Takeaways:
- Donegal Mutual Insurance Company was founded in Marietta, Pennsylvania, in 1889 to provide mutual protection for farmers in the local area, but over time, it has expanded its insurance to all types of customers.
- The company has a strong presence in Pennsylvania, offering a standard range of auto insurance products and services, including bodily injury liability coverage, property damage liability, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, comprehensive coverage, collision coverage, roadside assistance, and rental reimbursement coverage.
- Donegal Mutual differentiates itself from the competition by offering multiple insurance products, multiple discounts, and commercial insurance products for business owners.
- Some discounts available with Donegal Mutual include bundling discounts, safe driving discounts, and first accident forgiveness discounts. The company also tends to have strong ratings for claims satisfaction and customer service.
- About Donegal Mutual
- Donegal Mutual Auto Insurance Products and Services
- What Makes Donegal Car Insurance Unique?
- Donegal Mutual Auto Insurance Discounts
- Donegal Mutual Reviews: What Do Customers Have to Say?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Our Rating of Donegal Mutual Auto Insurance
- Final Word on Donegal Mutual Auto Insurance
About Donegal Mutual
Donegal Mutual is an insurance company founded in Marietta, Pennsylvania, in 1889. Also known as Donegal Insurance Group, the company provides personal and commercial insurance through a network of agents across the United States.
Donegal Mutual has a particularly strong presence in Pennsylvania, although the company offers insurance in most states.
In the late 1800s, a group of farmers in the Marietta, Pennsylvania, area joined together to provide mutual protection for their properties and farms. Initially, Donegal Mutual catered to farmers in the local area. Over time, the company has expanded its insurance to all types of customers.
The company was initially known as Donegal and Conoy Mutual Fire Insurance Company. The first customer was a farmer who needed dwelling coverage.
By 1920, Donegal Mutual was ready to expand. The company began branching beyond its local area. Over the coming decades, Donegal Mutual expanded its coverage area and insurance products and services.
In the 1950s, Donegal Mutual wrote its first car insurance policy. By 1961, Donegal Mutual had over $3 million of insurance policies under its umbrella. And in 1976, Donegal Mutual acquired two other Pennsylvania insurance companies, including Reading Mutual Insurance Company and Laurel State Mutual Insurance Company of Wyomissing.
Donegal Mutual went public in the 1980s, selling shares on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbols DGICA and DGICB.
After several other acquisitions over the years, Donegal Mutual has grown to become one of Pennsylvania’s largest and best-known insurance companies. Today, insurance companies under the Donegal Mutual umbrella include Atlantic States Insurance Company, Le Mars Insurance Company, Peninsula Insurance Company, Peninsula Indemnity, and Southern Insurance Company of Virginia.
While most of Donegal Mutual’s base continues to be in Pennsylvania, the company has several subsidiaries that serve customers in Georgia, South Carolina, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Colorado, Virginia, and other states.
Donegal Mutual Auto Insurance Products and Services
Donegal Mutual offers a standard range of auto insurance products and services, including all of the following:
Bodily Injury Liability Coverage: Bodily injury liability coverage is required in most states. It covers medical bills and other expenses of any third parties you injure while driving.
Property Damage Liability: Donegal Mutual offers property damage liability coverage, which covers property damage you cause to other people while driving – like a neighbor’s fence or another vehicle after a collision.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage: Some states require uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, which protects drivers after an accident with a motorist who has no insurance or too little insurance. Donegal Mutual offers uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in all states.
Comprehensive Coverage: Comprehensive coverage covers any damage to your vehicle that occurs outside of an accident – like water damage, fire damage, vandalism, or theft.
Collision Coverage: Collision coverage covers the cost of repairing your own vehicle after an accident you cause. You pay your deductible, and your insurer covers the remaining vehicle repair or replacement costs.
Roadside Assistance: Donegal Mutual provides roadside assistance coverage, including towing and labor coverage, if your vehicle is disabled.
Rental Reimbursement Coverage: If your normal vehicle needs repairs and you need to rent a car, then Donegal Mutual covers the cost of renting a car for the duration of repairs.
What Makes Donegal Car Insurance Unique?
Most car insurance companies in Pennsylvania offer similar products and services. What makes Donegal Mutual’s car insurance unique? What separates Donegal Mutual from competing providers?
Donegal Mutual differentiates itself from the competition with all of the following characteristics:
Multiple Insurance Products: Donegal Mutual sells more than just car insurance. The company also sells homeowners insurance, commercial insurance, business insurance, and other types of policies. Like other large insurance companies, Donegal Mutual sells a range of products for all types of insurance needs.
Multiple Discounts: Like all well-rated insurance companies, Donegal Mutual offers a range of popular discounts, including discounts for good students, drivers who bundle policies, and good drivers, among others. They also offer accident forgiveness so your first claim doesn’t send your premiums through the roof.
Commercial Insurance: Donegal Mutual offers many commercial insurance products for business owners, with customizable policies available based on your business’s unique needs.
Donegal Mutual Auto Insurance Discounts
Donegal Mutual offers a range of discounts for all types of drivers. You can expect a discount for bundling policies together with Donegal Mutual, for example, or for maintaining good grades as a student.
Some of the discounts available with Donegal Mutual include:
Bundling Discounts: Donegal Mutual offers car insurance, homeowners insurance, and other insurance policies (although the company does not offer renters insurance). If you bundle multiple policies together, then you can get a discount across all policies.
Safe Driving Discount: Donegal Mutual rewards drivers with a safe driving record. You could qualify for this discount if you have 3 to 7 years of safe driving experience. The specific length of time varies depending on your state.
First Accident Forgiveness Discounts: If you caused an accident after years of safe driving, then you could qualify for Donegal Mutual’s first accident forgiveness discount program, which negates the higher insurance costs that typically come with your first accident.
Safety Features Discounts: Donegal Mutual rewards drivers who drive vehicles with safety features. If your vehicle has advanced safety features beyond what is typically required on cars (like passenger or side airbags), then you could qualify for a discount.
Driver Training Course Discounts: If you have recently completed a driver education course, then you could qualify for a small discount on Donegal Mutual auto insurance.
Multi-Vehicle Discounts: If you insure multiple vehicles with Donegal Mutual, then you could receive a discount across all insurance policies with Donegal Mutual.
Good Student Discounts: If you are a high school or college student with a B+ average or better, then you could qualify for Donegal Mutual’s good student discount program, which provides a steep discount to drivers who maintain good grade averages.
Donegal Mutual Reviews: What Do Customers Have to Say?
Donegal Mutual is generally well-reviewed for claims satisfaction and customer service. The company also has an “Excellent” financial strength rating, suggesting Donegal Mutual will have no issue covering customer liabilities in the future.
Donegal Mutual’s Better Business Bureau page has an A+ rating. The company has had 12 total complaints in the last three years.
Like most insurance companies, Donegal Mutual reviewers tend to leave bad reviews only when they have an unfavorable claim experience. Few people take the time to rate their insurance company unless they’ve recently had a bad claim. This drops Donegal Mutual’s average review rating online, although the company still has strong reviews overall.
Donegal Mutual has an A (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best, which rates the financial strength of insurance companies across the United States.
Donegal Mutual also has an NAIC complaint index of 4.09, which is relatively high compared to other insurers. This number is the ratio of complaints received by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners compared to Donegal Mutual’s total customer base.
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Word on Donegal Mutual Auto Insurance
Donegal Mutual is a car insurance company based in Pennsylvania. The company has sold car insurance across Pennsylvania and the United States for over 130 years.
Today, Donegal Mutual continues to be a well-rated insurance company offering a range of car insurance products and services to drivers in most states.
To learn more about Donegal Mutual’s insurance products and services, visit online today at DonegalGroup.com.
| Donegal Mutual Insurance | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | 1195 River Rd Marietta, PA 17547 |
| Phone Number | 1-800-877-0600 |
| Website URL | https://www.donegalgroup.com/ |
