subject: Should I Report a Fender Bender to My Insurance Company? [print this page] Should I Report a Fender Bender to My Insurance Company?
Ever had a fender bender and decided not file it? It's understandable, a lot of people don't want their insurance premiums to rise. As a personal injury lawyer I see this quite a bit. Many people would rather just pay for the damages out of pocket and be done with it. If you are thinking about doing the same, consider the following things:1)How much their premiums will go up. This is something you really should be familiar with BEFORE you purchase your insurance policy, let alone file a claim. Although you may have initially been given a cheap deal most companies will hike up your premiums if you're found at fault in an accident. 2)Who was at fault? Not just who caused the crash, more than one party can be at fault in an accident. Fault can be determined several different ways. Your premiums are almost certain to rise if you are found to be at fault for an accident.Based on the above, you may think it's a good idea not to report accidents to your insurance company. Often times this can be the case if the police aren't involved, and the damage seems that it's going to be less than your deductible. If a police report is filed though, your insurance carrier is probably going to find out anyway. There are a lot of insurance policies that state the policy holder must promptly report any accident. You may not even have a choice!Another thing to consider when deciding whether or not to report an accident is that injuries sometimes won't manifest themselves for weeks after an accident, causing long term or even permanent physical damage. If you do end having injuries develop you may ruin your claim by not reporting the accident. If you injured someone else, you could find yourself being sued, and you won't have the insurance company to support you. This scenario could end up costing you a lot more in time and money than it ever would have in increased insurance premiums. This is why it's important to file a police report. It allows there to be an accurate record if anyone files a claim in the future. Considering all of this, it seems like a no brainer that you should report auto accidents. But as you're aware, dealing with insurance adjusters can be difficult. Every situation is different, speak with an experienced auto accident attorney and see what they have to say if you're deciding whether or not to report an accident. It never hurts to be informed.
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