Hello, my name is Cliff Bolton. Welcome to my site about vehicle insurance. I wanted to learn all I could about insurance before I started driving to go into the decision-making process with ease. Once I started exploring the insurance industry, however, I could not stop reading. I learned all I needed to know to obtain car insurance and much, much more. I created this site to share this knowledge with my readers. I hope to help others tackle this important decision without worry. Please feel free to drop by daily to learn new information about this important topic. Thank you for visiting my site.
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If you have damaged your car in a crash, one of the debates you will have to settle is whether to file a claim or carry out the repairs on your own. This debate can be particularly tricky for relatively minor damages. Consider these four issues before making up your mind:
Difference between Your Deductible and Damage Cost
In most cases, you pay a standard deductible whether the damage requires minimal or costly repairs. For example, if your deductible is $500, you will pay it whether the repair costs is $700 or $5,000. However, it doesn't make much sense to file a claim for $700 damage with a deductible of $500 since the insurance company will only give you a check for $200. This is something for which you shouldn't damage your clean claim's history.
Your Available Cash
You buy car insurance to help you repair your car if it's damaged. Opting to repair the car on your own is just a way of keeping the insurance rates down. Therefore, if you don't have the cash to repair the car on your own, you should definitely file the claim. In this case, it might not matter even if the damage is minimal. It doesn't make sense to avoid filing a claim by keeping your car parked or worse driving a damaged car that may cause further damages or accidents.
Your Driving History
Your driving history, especially during the recent past, should also be a factor here. For example, it doesn't hurt to file a small claim if you have a relatively clean driving history. However, you should be careful if your driving history paints you as a high-risk driver. For example, you should be careful if you have a driving under the influence (DUI) because a DUI (or other moving violations) makes you a high-risk driver and insurance companies high-risk drivers under the microscope. If you are already under the microscope, then any additions to your claims' history is treated as another mark on you and may increase your rates.
The Complexity of the Necessary Repairs
You should always make a claim for a complicated repair that has the possibility of hidden damages. Such damage may seem inexpensive on the surface only to turn expensive when the mechanic finds hidden damage after hidden damage. If you file a claim, the insurer will pay for all the damages as long as they can be clearly linked to the incident that triggered your claim. If you don't file a claim because you think the damage is minimal, you may have no right to file a claim if you later learn that the damage was more extensive than you first thought.
For more information, talk to a professional like Clifford P Beauvais Insurance Agency.
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