Rising Insurance rates

[Beatit!!]

For most consumers, the price of automobile insurance continues to rise annually, even if free of damage claims and moving violations.

(A) even if
(B) despite being
(C) even if they are
(D) although they may be
(E) even if remaining


Could someone explain why should its answer be 'C'

[bumblebee]

For most consumers, the price of automobile insurance continues to rise annually, even if free of damage claims and moving violations.

(A) even if
(B) despite being
(C) even if they are
(D) although they may be
(E) even if remaining

A doesn't make sense because it doesn't say who is free of damage claims
B despite being : it seems that the "being" qualifies insurance and that insurance is free of damage claims
D complicated formation
E is incorrect

so that leaves us with the simple sentence construction of C

[mjjking]

C resolves the problem of ambiguity and clearly defines who is without etc etc...

[raunekk]

we need a pronoun "they" to refer to consumers ..

[dgr8onerip]

imo: C

but even C is not fully convincing because the ambiguity is not solved i.e who is damage free: consumers or cars