Should I File a Claim or Fix It Myself?

[Guest]

Long story short, a car was swerving all over the freeway and smashed into the center divider. I was 2 cars behind the incident and as the two cars ahead of me came to a stop; my front brakes locked and I rear-ended a Toyota Tacoma. Nothing happened to his truck and he told me it was no one's fault since all this happened due to the car who crashed ahead us. He gave me his name/number and went off. My car was not as lucky, the bumper is cracked in half and my hood is slightly crumpled towards the front.

Now I know it's my fault, should I fix it through a body shop or claim insurance? How do I know if it's worth filing and raising my premium or simply picking up the tab myself?

 

[desert boy]

go get an estimate first

 

[djs]

Talk to your agent. Rules vary by state, but it sounds like there is a reasonable amount of damage to your car, making it probably much more efficient to file a claim.

Usually, you can file a claim and if the payout is low, you can deny the check from the insurance and pay it yourself, saving a rate increase. Knowing the magical numbers for your state is the job of your insurance agent.

Problem with getting an estimate first is frequently they have to disassemble parts of the car to get a proper estimate, which can make it harder to file the claim after the fact. If you do go this route, take a good set of pictures prior to anybody doing anything with the car.

Dan

 

[BlockO]

djs,
"magical numbers"???
as a new agent, I'm interested by your comment. could you elaborate what on what you mean by magical numbers?

 

[djs]

In some states, a claim has to be over a certain amount before it gets rated. This is usually a fairly low amount, but helps in cases where there is minimal damage.

Then, if its a rated claim, is it worth filing and collecting? What is the projected (not guaranteed) increase in premium vs the value of the payout. Also, will it remove other discounts, such as good driver, that might have an impact on the decision.

Dan

 

[GreenSky]

Call Mark Rosenthal. He has more auto accident experience than any claims adjuster.

Rick

 

[debshelp44]

Remember too that if you want to change companies, its always best to be claims free, even if nothing or not much was paid out.

 

[Mark]

Call Mark Rosenthal. He has more auto accident experience than any claims adjuster.

Rick

I love progressive, they made it so easy on me.... Geico claims suck though....

 

[Hefe]

CA "magic number" is $750.

Like others have said, get an estimate and call your agent.

 

[John Bellamy]

It depends on the damage. I didn't file a claim on my car and will have to pay the 1k out of pocket to fix it. Not every claim will make your policy go up. Also, you CAN pay the insurance company back if they paya claim! I know, it's nuts! I had never heard that before. SO it may be worth your time to file a claim if damage is severe. Conversely you can get body parts off of Ebay for cheap.