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I recently got into an auto accident and was wondering what steps I should take to make sure I don't spend more money than i should. My biggest question is whether I should make a claim to my insurance company or not. I've heard that by making a claim, my auto insurance rates may go up. How do I determine whether the increase in rates or the cost to repair will be more? Also, is there a good way to go about getting estimates on the repair costs? This is the first time for me and any steps you would recommend would be greatly appreciated.
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Was it your fault? Can you describe the collision? How much do you think the repair will be?
To get an estimate, just call up an auto body shop of your choice and ask if they give free estimates. If they do, go to the shop, check it out and see if it feels like they do honest business, check out other cars they have being worked on, and then get a free estimate. If you are sure you will be paying out of pocket, get a few quotes from different auto body shops. Some may be considerably less, but they may also do shoddy work, so beware of that.
To decide whether fixing it out of pocket or through your insurance is better, found out how much your deductible is ($250, $500, $1000...) and compare it to how much the repair is. Most cosmetic repairs on today's cars will be over $500 if it's anything other than fixing scratches in the paint.
My advice: If the accident was your fault, and your deductible is $500, but the repairs will cost $600 - still pay for it out of pocket so that you don't have to run the risk of your insurance going up. If the repair is $2000, you should probably go through your insurance. -
first step should be to get an estimate from a bodyshop, then weigh up your options, sometimes the estimate is higher than the cost of the insurance policy for a year or more. if this is the case, you might aswell claim and start again.Comment
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