Doc Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 I reported an accident and setup an inspection for the cars involved, but am thinking of paying out of pocket. Will my insurance company still raise my rates even if they don't pay for the repairs, just because I reported it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 Presumably. You already reported it. Were you issued a ticket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted April 24, 2016 Author Share Posted April 24, 2016 Presumably. You already reported it. Were you issued a ticket? No. And no one was injured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrags Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 Honestly. It depends on your insurance. If you e got Geico then chances are you are already screwed. However if you deal with a broker or a specific agent you might have a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 I reported an accident and setup an inspection for the cars involved, but am thinking of paying out of pocket. Will my insurance company still raise my rates even if they don't pay for the repairs, just because I reported it? Definite maybe. The problem, I think, is that the people that write the policies aren't the same people that handle claims. So while the claims people say "Oh, we didn't pay anything on this claim, so we're shouldn't be raising your rates," the policy people just see "claim" and jack up your rates no matter what. Have had that happen to me three times for accidents that weren't my fault, and that were paid out in full under someone else's claim. The good news is that you can often fight it. I got each of those three rate hikes reversed. It's never easy, but exactly how hard it is depends on your state insurance administration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 No. And no one was injured. Call a Geico agent (not the claim office) and explain your situation and ask the person the best route to take to make sure that the claim is rescinded. There is a chance that the agent knows an official or unofficial way of of getting your claim deleted or categorized in such a way that it will not affect your record. You may be instructed to talk to the claim office. If so, ask to talk to a supervisor and let him/her know what your expectations are. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 Send a PM to stevestojan..he has been in the industry for a long time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalomike Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 If its under $1000 chances are it wont affect you unless you are an awful driver with a bad history. If its over 1000 you might as well let the company pay for it cause your rates arent going to go up that much. Never understood paying out of pocket so your rates don't go up. You're paying either way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted April 24, 2016 Author Share Posted April 24, 2016 (edited) Thanks for the advice. Approximately how much can I expect my rate to go up? The repairs will cost about $4000 I suspect. And I haven't made a claim for anything other than windshields for almost 20 years (although I haven't been with GEICO the whole time). Edited April 24, 2016 by Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maury Ballstein Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 Send me the 4,000 I'll call my friend in claims. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 Thanks for the advice. Approximately how much can I expect my rate to go up? The repairs will cost about $4000 I suspect. And I haven't made a claim for anything other than windshields for almost 20 years (although I haven't been with GEICO the whole time). I didn't realize that the damage was so costly. Your best approach will probably be to just let your insurance process the claim. If your rates unreasonably go up then check out other insurance companies to get a better rate when your coverage ends. You might be surprised with the variations in rates. You paid for the coverage. So don't be reluctant to use it in this particular case. That is why you have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 I didn't realize that the damage was so costly. Your best approach will probably be to just let your insurance process the claim. If your rates unreasonably go up then check out other insurance companies to get a better rate when your coverage ends. You might be surprised with the variations in rates. You paid for the coverage. So don't be reluctant to use it in this particular case. That is why you have it. Yeah what he said. A few years back a coworker caused an accident and when her policy was up for renewal, the insurance company declined to renew the policy. She shopped around and got the same coverage for not much more than what she was paying before the accident Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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