Sorry if this is in the wrong place but if anyone on here works in car insurance and could spare a few minutes I'd appreciate it. My teen daughter was in a single car accident today (she's fine) and I'd like to understand how some things work before calling my agent. Thanks in advance.

Call your agent - this is exactly why you pay him.

This. Even if the other driver is at fault, you can file with your company and they will subrogate it through the other driver's insurance.

How much damage was done

Not being (cheaky) but i thing he said it was a single car accident.

This 100%

It's beyond me why people don't do this. Good grief!

You guys are assuming his agent is independent. Calling your agent first is not always best if they are corporate or contract agents.

I never recommend getting your insurance involved if someone else is at fault, there is just very little positive can come from it. But single car incident and your insurance company is who/where the claim will be filed…just call’em.

I would not call them and file a claim for any minor damage that you can absorb or is near your deductible cost.

Good luck and I’m glad your daughter it’s alright, the rest of the crap can be replaced.

There are time lines to call and put in a claim. Honesty is the best answer. Your rates may go up. If you can repair for a nominal sum, might be better just to do that.

I don't like to call the agent or the corporation. They all say different things from each other then what really happens is yet another, unexpected turn.

Can’t believe somes aren’t desiring to call those they pay out large sums to. Why give them the money then?

Yep, but they will call the cops and ems all the time and waste their time and they don’t pay them a penny

I think those guys get paid already so I wouldn’t hesitate to call them either,,, donut break was over a long time ago LMAO

On a serious note about the insurance situation if you can’t afford to repair it yourself I’d be calling the insurance company and if it’s an out of pocket fix I’d keep it off the radar. A few grand could save you a fortune in the long run,,

Any other way is a gamble.

Might should have underlined and used bold for SINGLE CAR. Don't think some caught that.

Single car accident with a young driver, I’d pay out of pocket if it’s not too bad. The rate will go up.

Thanks everyone. I was trying to weigh filing versus going out of pocket because, as I expected, when I did talk to my agent they couldn't give me the most remote ballpark of how much it would go up before we filed a claim. Talked to some friends whose teen was in a similar accident and they will be paying $8000 in additional premiums over the next three years. Our car's not worth that on its best day so easy decision.

We set $1,000 deductibles on our kid's policies when then drove. Expected them to pay the deductible if the insurance needed to be used. Would use higher deductibles this day. Had three driving at one time and a couple of "incidents". They were less than $2,000 each and we just paid them out.

The problem getting here these days is the cost of body repair. Repair should not even be in the name as there is no repair. Bondo is almost a thing of the past and nowadays, its take off, replace with new and repaint. The body shops and their lobbyists got it the way they want it. Collision costs have gone through the roof. People are quite shell shocked when they get estimates. These days, it's hard to get an estimate for less than $2,000.

A single car accident is about the only way this strategy can be used. If any thought of bodily injury, avoiding insurance can haunt you.

Dependable, older cars are your pocketbook's friend when considering what to obtain for a youthful.

I am an expert

Single car accident don't get insurance involved, they will skin you later.

That's my experience. They pay out $1,000 on the claim and your rate cost goes up $1,000 per year FOREVER.

I filed a claim earlier this year when a truck in front of me hit a lost tire tread off a big rig and spun it into the front of my car. It took out the front camera on my car, the under engine protection thingy and the lower end of the front bumper. Claim was just over $3000. My rates went up $7/month. I was shocked as it is State Farm, but they are the cheapest right now and have been for the last year.

Everybody's insurance rates are going up...thanks Brandon, FJB!

I filed a hail claim on my truck last year, State Farm said my rate wouldn’t go up. It did anyway.

I think SF raised all in the area a tad

It’s probably an industry wide deal.