Report Accident- higher rate?

[p6677]

I was involved in a minor accident where I don't wish to make a claim due so my rates don't increase. The damage is very minimal and so was the damage to the other driver's car. I feel the other driver is not going to make a damage claim for the same reason. My concern is if the other driver makes a bogus "injury" claim down the road. I just want to protect myself in case of this. If I don't report now but the other driver makes a claim a year from now, will my insurance company not accept my claim since I didn't originally report it? Also, if I report now, but don't wish to make a claim, will my rates go up?

 

[fed up]

They will contact you and take a statement. You would then go to a claims center to view the damage if it has not been fixed or offer a copy of your repair documents if it has been fixed. I lightly bumped a vehicle at an intersection as the light went to green and for no reason, the car in front of me stopped. We looked at the vehicles and together decided that there was no damage but exchanged information. Nearly a year later my carrier contacted ne about an unreported accident. Seems that the other car sustained severe frame damage, trunk and quarter panel damage, and had a destroyed bumper. There was no damage to the front of my car except for a crease in the license plate holder. I wound up being charged with $150 of the guys repair because I had obviously made contact but there was no problem with the carrier about not calling in the incident

 

[p6677]

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. Glad to hear your carrier still helped out. Just to clarify, was the "severe frame damage, trunk and quarter panel damage, and damaged bumper" a true result from your previous accident? Or are you saying that was most likely from another incident the other driver tried to blame it on you for the first accident? Just trying to see where the $150 came from since it was severe damage, but doesn't seem like it was from the first accident.

 

[adjusterjack]

If I don't report now but the other driver makes a claim a year from now, will my insurance company not accept my claim since I didn't originally report it?

Fed Up was lucky.

Your policy requires you to report the accident promptly and has penalties for concealing the accident. Those conditions could result in denial of the claim and recission of the policy.

if I report now, but don't wish to make a claim, will my rates go up?

There should be no surcharge for an accident for which no payment is made, which is not the same as saying your rates won't go up.

 

[fed up]

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. Glad to hear your carrier still helped out. Just to clarify, was the "severe frame damage, trunk and quarter panel damage, and damaged bumper" a true result from your previous accident? Or are you saying that was most likely from another incident the other driver tried to blame it on you for the first accident? Just trying to see where the $150 came from since it was severe damage, but doesn't seem like it was from the first accident.

The damage was from another contact the driver had and tried to blame on me. The $150 was to repair a hole in his bumper cover which I may have caused.