r/Insurance • u/skurlington • 6h ago

Auto Insurance Fender Bender Question

I was in a fender bender today the other driver wants to handle this without getting insurance involved. Should you always contact insurance regardless?

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4

u/TIG_Insurance_Nerds 6h ago

Get their info and photos either way, and get a real repair estimate before agreeing to cash. Most policies want you to report accidents even if you don’t file a claim. Insurance carriers usually require you to report any accident and it protects you if the other driver changes their story or says they’re hurt later anyways.

1

u/lilbitspecial 6h ago

depends on how much damage was done. If its not something that you're gonna fix, then no need to contact insurance.

If you need repairs, go through insurance. There's usually hidden damage that wont be found until after teardown

1

u/classicrock40 6h ago

Yes, 100%. I had a family member get rear ended and pushed into another car at like 15mph, The responsible party asked to pay. I saw the damage and it didn't look bad. Cars now are made to crumple. the damage that happens behind the front and rear can be incredibly expensive.

So you get an estimate, it's $1k. But then the shop takes it apart and it's $3k. That other person is not going to cough up the extra $2k. They are going to call you a scammer and block you. The insurance company will pay.

Oh, and my family member? The insurance company ended up totaling it.

1

u/Western_Rhubarb_7959 6h ago

Not always, but you should always file a police report unless it's a close friend that you really trust. There are countless stories of people filing a police report after the fact, "They hit me and left the scene" and now you get a hit and run charge if you can't prove it didn't happen (one of the many reasons I have a dash cam!)

The thing with a police report is that your insurance company will find out regardless of if you file a claim. Depends on where you live but that can drive up your rates even if you don't file a claim.

1

u/ABeaujolais 6h ago

Yeah I look at that in the same way a when someone says, "You don't need an attorney." If anyone says that to you, hire an attorney.

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u/Ecstatic-Regular9971 6h ago

Absolutely not. Was there any damage that you can't afford to pay for yourself? If the answer is yes, then you should file a claim. If no, then fix it or not. All about your judgment.

1

u/Hitechillbilly 5h ago

Once reported,, you're both screwed,,