I’m 26F and was driving a family member’s car when I got into a fender bender. I think I’m at fault since I rear-ended another driver. No one was hurt, but both cars have damage. My damage is about $2800, and while the other car has less damage, I’m guessing it’s at least another $1k for them. I have a $1k deductible, and I’m thinking about using my insurance. I know insurance usually follows the car, but since my family member and I are both with USAA, a rep told me it would go through no matter whose name it’s under. Does anyone know what to expect for a rate increase after filing a claim? I pay about $180/month right now, so if it goes up by 100%, that would be an extra $2160 a year, which would be over $6k for the 3 years it stays on my record. I’ve never filed an insurance claim before, so I’m not sure what I can expect if I do. Would it be worth it to use my insurance, or should I just pay for the repairs out of pocket and avoid the claim?
With another unknown party involved, file with insurance. It’s not worth the risk of them changing their story later on.
Tamsin said:
With another unknown party involved, file with insurance. It’s not worth the risk of them changing their story later on.
That makes sense. Is it possible to file through insurance but leave out the damages to the car I was driving? My family member is considering trading the car in instead of fixing it, and they don’t think they’ll get $3k for it as a trade-in if we repair it. I’m not sure if that will affect my premium rates or not. If the rates go up either way, it might be better to just repair the car if we’re using insurance, but now the family member isn’t sure.
@Sawyer
If the repair cost is almost the value of the car, insurance will probably total it. Your rates will likely go up whether you fix the car or not, since you’re at fault.
A scratch would likely be a $1k claim. The family member’s insurance is responsible for that, not yours. Their deductible applies to their car, not liability.
Vega said:
A scratch would likely be a $1k claim. The family member’s insurance is responsible for that, not yours. Their deductible applies to their car, not liability.
The family member wants me to put the claim on my insurance. A rep said it’s our choice even though it’s not my car. Since it’s my fault, I thought it would be fair to put it on mine if the insurance is okay with it.
@Sawyer
That’s not right. As a former USAA employee, I can tell you their insurance is primary. Yours is secondary, and only if their insurance doesn’t cover all the damages will your insurance kick in. It’s not really a choice you have. Insurance follows the car, not the driver. I think the adjuster was confused about what you were asking.
The issue with damage to the back of the car is that the bumper absorbs shock, but that can sometimes cause hidden damage. A few years ago, I was rear-ended at a stoplight. At first, it didn’t seem like much, but it ended up costing over $3k. With the way repair costs have gone up, it could easily be twice that now. If I were you, I’d file the claim. Yes, your rates will likely go up, but that’s just the cost of an at-fault accident. Also, if you don’t file and the other driver does, your rates will go up anyway. Even though no one was hurt, some injuries don’t show up until a few days later, especially neck or back injuries from rear-end collisions.
My wife’s car got sideswiped last Friday. It needs new bumpers, a driver side mirror, and the back door handle. The driver side doors have some crinkled body damage. We called USAA and uploaded eight photos. We’re still waiting for an adjuster to get back to us so we can get an estimate.
Insurance follows the driver, not the car.