As a Hawaii personal injury law firm, one of the most common questions we hear from clients and community members is: “What is the best car insurance company in Hawaii?” This is a very important question, and there’s arguably no better person to ask than a Hawaii car accident attorney.

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Why? Lawyers who handle auto accident cases in Honolulu and throughout Oahu deal with car insurance companies every single day. At our firm, we have spent more than a decade negotiating with insurers, reviewing their settlement practices, and going to trial when necessary. We’ve seen firsthand which Hawaii car insurance companies treat people fairly and which ones make life more stressful and difficult after an accident. The truth is, not all insurance companies are the same. Some operate with fairness and integrity, while others consistently delay, deny, or undervalue claims.

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Why Choosing the Right Hawaii Car Insurance Company Matters

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When most people shop for car insurance in Hawaii, they think mainly about price. Of course, affordability is important, but it’s not the only factor you should consider. The most critical issue is how your insurance company handles personal injury claims.

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The biggest distinction between good and bad insurers in Hawaii is whether they make reasonable settlement offers. If your insurance company offers fair settlements to injury victims, most cases will resolve without a trial. But if your insurer refuses to negotiate reasonably, the case often ends up in court.

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This matters even if you are the insured driver who causes an accident. You might ask yourself: “Why should I care if my insurance company treats the other party fairly?” The answer is simple:

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• If your insurance company refuses to settle, you may be dragged into years of litigation.

• You’ll likely have to attend depositions, mediations, arbitrations, and possibly a week-long jury trial.

• During that time, you’ll live with stress, uncertainty, and the burden of a potential judgment.

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In short, choosing a good car insurance company in Hawaii can save you years of anxiety and protect you from unnecessary legal battles.

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Ranking the Best and Worst Car Insurance Companies in Hawaii

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Based on our years of experience handling auto accident claims across Oahu and the neighbor islands, here is our ranking of Hawaii’s car insurance companies — from best to worst.

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1st: Island Insurance
2nd: First Insurance
3rd: USAA
4th: Progressive
5th: DTRIC
6th: Liberty Mutual
7th: State Farm
8th: GEICO
9th: Allstate
10th: Farmers Insurance

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USAA – Strong Reputation with Hawaii’s Military Community

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USAA is one of the best insurance companies in Hawaii, especially for military families stationed on Oahu, Pearl Harbor, Schofield Barracks, or Kaneohe Bay. While premiums may be slightly higher than other companies, USAA has consistently shown a willingness to make fair settlement offers.

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Why does this matter? Because it means claims resolve faster and with less stress for service members and their families. Our impression is that USAA recognizes the unique role military members play and seeks to protect them from being bogged down in lengthy litigation. In our experience, USAA operates with honesty, fairness, and efficiency — traits that give accident victims and policyholders peace of mind.

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Island Insurance and First Insurance – Local Companies with Fair Practices

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Two of Hawaii’s strongest insurance companies are Island Insurance and First Insurance. Both are local, Hawaii-based companies with deep ties to the community. Over the years, we’ve seen them make reasonable settlement offers for Honolulu car crash injuries, resolve claims without unnecessary disputes, and generally operate in good faith.

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When a client or opposing driver is insured with one of these companies, we typically know the case has a good chance of settling early, which spares everyone the stress of trial.

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DTRIC Insurance – Improving Over Time

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Several years ago, DTRIC had a poor reputation when it came to handling claims. Their settlement offers were often unreasonable, and many cases dragged on. However, in recent years, we’ve noticed a shift. Whether due to new leadership or a change in claims philosophy, DTRIC has become more willing to negotiate fairly.

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That said, their ranking may continue to shift. While they’ve improved, consistency over time will determine whether they remain among the better Hawaii auto insurers.

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Progressive and Liberty Mutual – Hit or Miss

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Progressive and Liberty Mutual fall into a middle category. They sometimes make fair settlement offers, but other times they are overly stingy. We do eventually settle most cases with them, but the process can be frustrating. Policyholders should be aware that while they may save money on premiums, they may face longer disputes in the event of an accident.

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State Farm, GEICO, and Allstate – Difficult Negotiators

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The next group — State Farm, GEICO, and Allstate — is consistently challenging to work with.

• State Farm: In our opinion, they often make low offers that undervalue injuries.

• GEICO: In our opinion, they are frequently one of the stingiest insurers in Hawaii, known for pushing injured people to accept less than they deserve for their Honolulu moped accident injuries  and any other type of auto accident injuries.

• Allstate: In our opinion, they are growing worse year by year, routinely making extremely low settlement offers and showing a willingness to push cases into trial.

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For Hawaii drivers, these companies may offer competitive rates, but the trade-off is the increased likelihood of being dragged into litigation if you cause an accident.

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Farmers Insurance – In our opinion, one of the Worst Car Insurance companies in Hawaii

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In our experience, Farmers Insurance ranks at the very bottom. They consistently make the most unreasonable settlement offers for Hawaii auto accident injuries — offers that are so low they’re often insulting to accident victims. In our opinion, Farmers appears to prefer litigation over fair settlements, which means their policyholders often endure years of stress, depositions, and court appearances.

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Unfortunately, in our opinion, many Hawaii drivers are paying premiums to Farmers without realizing that in the event of an accident, their insurance may do little to protect them from lawsuits. This defeats the entire purpose of buying car insurance in the first place.

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Final Thoughts – Choosing the Right Hawaii Car Insurance

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The opinions we’ve shared here are based on more than a decade of legal experience handling auto accident claims in Hawaii. Of course, your personal experience may differ, but if you want to reduce stress, protect yourself financially, and ensure that your insurance company will treat claims seriously, it’s worth considering these rankings before purchasing or renewing a policy.

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At the end of the day, the best Hawaii car insurance company for you is the one that not only offers fair pricing but also stands behind its policyholders with integrity and fairness when accidents happen.

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If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Honolulu, Oahu, or anywhere in Hawaii, and you’re struggling with an insurance company that refuses to play fair, don’t hesitate to reach out to our firm. We have years of experience negotiating with these very insurers and can help you pursue the compensation you deserve.