California Casualty Insurance review 2023

California Casualty car insurance

California Casualty car insurance stands out for offering insurance policies tailored to the needs of firefighters, law enforcement, nurses, educators and higher education employees. The company’s unique coverage options, many of which are designed with teachers and first responders in mind, cater directly to policyholders in these professions. In addition, the company offers discounts that may help qualifying drivers save money on their policies.

Like the best car insurance companies, California Casualty Insurance offers standard coverage options such as liability, comprehensive, collision, medical payments and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. If you’re interested in additional coverage types, California Casualty offers several options, including some specific to essential workers. Law enforcement officers may appreciate turnout gear and firearms coverage, which pays out to cover stolen, damaged or destroyed firefighter and law enforcement gear and/or firearms stored in the vehicle, as well as custom/non-factory equipment coverage to insure any parts and devices that aren’t from the vehicle’s original manufacturer that get damaged or need replacement after a covered loss.

Pros and cons of California Casualty car insurance

When shopping for car insurance, comparing car insurance companies and requesting quotes can help direct you towards the best choices for your needs. Here’s a quick summary of California Casualty car insurance to help you decide:

California Casualty car insurance cost

A car insurance policy from California Casualty may be slightly less expensive than the national average for many drivers. The average driver pays $1,879 annually for a full coverage policy from California Casualty and $594 for a minimum coverage policy. In comparison, the average cost of full coverage car insurance in the U.S. is $2,014 per year for full coverage and $622 for minimum coverage.

In addition, keep in mind that every driver pays a different rate for their car insurance. Car insurance rates vary by company, as each one will factor in characteristics such as your location, driving record and claims history differently to determine your car insurance rate.

California Casualty car insurance rates by driving history

Drivers with a history of convictions or at-fault accidents will typically pay higher car insurance rates compared to drivers with a clean driving record. This is based on Bankrate’s study of average car insurance rates by driving history. Our findings also revealed that it’s still possible in many cases to find affordable car insurance, even if you have a speeding ticket or at-fault accident on your record, by shopping around with multiple carriers. Car insurance rates for drivers with a DUI have been excluded below, as not all car insurance companies accept drivers with a DUI conviction, but you can always contact California Casualty to see if that’s not the case. 

Average cost of car insurance by driving incident

California Casualty car insurance quotes by age

The age of a driver and how many years of driving experience they have factors into their car insurance rates. Young drivers pay the highest average rates compared to older drivers, often due to their lack of experience, but this can sometimes be mitigated by special discounts and whether or not the young driver is on their parents’ policy. Below is a comparison of average car insurance rates by age for California Casualty. All are based on a clean driving record, and reflect 2023 rates obtained from Quadrant Information Services.

Average cost of car insurance for drivers on their parents’ policy

Average cost of car insurance for drivers on their own policy

California Casualty car insurance discounts

California Casualty auto insurance has a 12-month rate lock guarantee. Additionally, drivers can access several discounts to save money, such as multi-policy, multi-car, good student and senior driver discounts. In addition to these standard discounts, the company offers a few less common discounts, such as:

California Casualty car tools and benefits

In addition to various car insurance coverage types, California Casualty car insurance offers pet coverage, loan/lease payoff coverage, a foreign exchange program, sabbatical return benefits and a fallen hero/fallen officer survivor benefit. A full list of benefits for California Casualty car insurance can be found by contacting one of its agents.

California Casualty home insurance

California Casualty may be one of the best homeowners insurance companies for law enforcement officers, firefighters, nurses and educators. Customers can choose from various add-on coverage types that most other insurance companies do not offer, and several discounts are available.

California Casualty home insurance offers common policy types, including dwelling, personal property, liability, medical payments and additional living expenses coverage. The company also offers unique additional coverage types geared toward its policyholders, including a fallen hero/fallen officer survivor benefit for policyholders in firefighting or law enforcement that pass away in the line of duty and off-duty weapons theft coverage for up to $5,000 in coverage for stolen, personally-owned off-duty weapons.

Additional home insurance coverage types include lost luggage coverage, debit or credit card coverage, personal property used in teaching coverage, school violence death survivor benefit and educators excess liability coverage.

Pros and cons of California Casualty homeowners insurance

Understanding the pros and cons of a home insurance company can help you while shopping for home insurance. Here’s some pros and cons of California Casualty home insurance to help you more easily compare with other insurers:

California Casualty home insurance cost

The average annual premium for a California Casualty home insurance policy is $2,217 for $250,000 in dwelling coverage. This is higher than the national average cost of homeowners insurance, which is $1,428 for the same amount of dwelling coverage. As with car insurance, it’s likely that your individual rates may vary depending on your location, size of your home, coverage selections and any discounts. If you’re looking for cheap home insurance, researching more than one company and requesting home insurance quotes can help you find the best rate.

California Casualty home insurance discounts

California Casualty home insurance offers many of the same savings opportunities that other insurance companies have, including discounts for multi-policy and home alert protection. In addition, qualifying policyholders may be interested in the following discounts:

California Casualty home tools and benefits

California Casualty does not advertise any extra tools or benefits for existing homeowners.

California Casualty customer satisfaction

Reviewing an insurance company’s customer satisfaction ratings can help paint a picture of what its customer experience is like. This can be done by speaking with existing policyholders or by reviewing third-party ratings from entities like J.D. Power or the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). J.D. Power ranks companies on a scale of 1 to 1,000, while the NAIC reviews the number of complaints an insurer has received compared to the industry average.

California Casualty auto satisfaction

California Casualty car insurance was not rated in J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. It received a score of 1.35 in the NAIC’s Complaint Index for the private passenger policy type, indicating that it received more complaints than the industry average.

California Casualty homeowners satisfaction

California Casualty home insurance was also not rated in J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Home Insurance study. Its home insurance earned a 0.91 in NAIC’s Complaint Index for the homeowner policy type, indicating that it received just below the baseline as expected in the industry.

How to file a claim with California Casualty

Filing a claim with California Casualty can be done online, contacting your agent or by calling 1-800-800-9410. The customer care line is open Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT.

California Casualty availability

Despite what the name suggests, California Casualty sells insurance in every state except Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York and Wisconsin.

Other California Casualty perks worth considering

California Casualty may be known for its home and auto insurance, but it also offers other insurance products, including:

• Mexico tourist auto insurance: California Casualty offers car insurance for U.S. drivers headed to Mexico through its partnership with Mexpro Insurance Professionals.
• Personal umbrella insurance: This policy provides an additional layer of liability coverage to your underlying personal insurance policies, such as home and car insurance.
• Recreational vehicles insurance: California Casualty may be able to insure these vehicles whether you have a boat, snowmobile or an RV.

California Casualty corporate sustainability

California Casualty regularly donates money to different organizations that support essential workers and often hosts giveaways. In 2022, the company donated $15,000 to the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation, awarded $1,000 each to two nurses through its partnership giveaway with Oregon Nurses Association, and hosted a California Casualty’s Staycation Giveaway to give $10,000 to an educator toward a home renovation project in 2022. The company also has its Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant, which donates $1,000 to middle school and high school sports teams that have been impacted by budget cuts.

Not sure if California Casualty is right for you?

Finding the best insurance for your needs means shopping around to see what different carriers offer, especially if you’re looking for cheap car insurance. If you’re on the fence about California Casualty, here are some other carriers to consider when requesting a car insurance quote:

California Casualty vs. Geico

Geico offers a long list of potential discounts for home and auto insurance, especially for professionals and members of participating organizations. If affordable car insurance coverage is a priority, Geico might be worth a look.

Learn more: Geico Insurance review

California Casualty vs. Allstate

Allstate’s digital tools for policy management make it easy to make changes and review your coverage on the go. It also offers all types of insurance, including home, condominium, renters and life insurance, to make building a holistic insurance plan convenient.

Learn more: Allstate Insurance review

California Casualty vs. USAA

If you were or currently are a military member or qualifying family member, USAA might be a great choice for military-based coverage and affordable rates. Based on Bankrate’s analysis of the cheapest average car insurance rates, USAA typically has some of the lowest rates, although its strict eligibility requirements mean not everyone can qualify.

Learn more: USAA Insurance review

Is California Casualty a good insurance company?

Bankrate’s team of insurance experts have more than 40 years of industry experience, and our California Casualty Insurance review may help you decide whether this company is right for you. The company’s mission is to protect people that serve the community, which is why California Casualty Insurance tailors its insurance coverage to educators, higher education employees, firefighters, law enforcement officers and nurses. If you are in these professions and want access to its specialized coverage and benefits, California Casualty may be a good fit. However, its customer service is not open 24/7 like some of its competitors, and its home insurance rates may be significantly higher than the national average.

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze 2023 rates for ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

Auto

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2021 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 16–60 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts. Rates are based on 2022 data.

The rates for drivers ages 16–20 added to their parents’ policy reflect the good student and driver's training discounts applied. The rates for drivers aged 16–20 on their own policy do not include the good student and driver's training discounts. Additionally, 25-year-old rates are based on the driver as a renter and 30+ on the driver as a homeowner.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), single speeding ticket and single at-fault accident.

Homeowners

• Coverage A, Dwelling: $150,000, $250,000, $350,000, $450,000, $750,000
• Coverage B, Other Structures: $15,000, $25,000, $35,000, $45,000, $75,000
• Coverage C, Personal Property: $75,000, $125,000, $175,000, $225,000, $375,000
• Coverage D, Loss of Use: $30,000, $50,000, $70,000, $90,000, $150,000
• Coverage E, Liability: $300,000, $300,000, $300,000, $300,000, $500,000
• Coverage F, Medical Payments: $1,000

The homeowners also have a $1,000 deductible and a separate wind and hail deductible (if required).

These are sample rates and should be used for comparative purposes only. Your quotes will differ.

Bankrate Scores

Our 2023 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Like our previous Bankrate Scores, each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. This year, our 2023 scoring model provides a more comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and better highlighting where they fall short.

• Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, 2023 quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services, as well as the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best and the NAIC, were analyzed.
• Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options.
• Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto and home insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.