This afternoon, I was hit by a driver who was trying to turn left while I had the right of way to go straight. The collision impacted the left front of my car. I called the police, and after gathering both parties' information, the officer informed me that since the other driver is uninsured, there's nothing I can do. The driver denied any fault and left without offering compensation. My car now has scratches and peeling paint on the front.
The police officer advised me to pay out of pocket rather than filing an insurance claim to avoid a potential increase in my insurance rates. My car doesn’t have major damage, so I'm uncertain whether to make a claim. I do have uninsured motorist coverage.
Should I file a claim, or will it likely result in higher insurance premiums in the long run? Never got in any car accident and honestly have no idea what to do. Any advice would be appreciated!
Got hit by an uninsured car should I file a claim? From Saint Louis, MO
byu/ProfessionNew7721 inInsurance
Posted by ProfessionNew7721
2 Comments
I would get estimates first.
Try looking at mobile auto painters and read their reviews. You would be surprised how good they are and on the lower price too. I repainted my front bumper due to large amounts of rock chips and paid about 500. The front bumper is going to get dinged up again and again.
If the deductible is obviously under no need to file an insurance claim. If it’s over the deductible you will have to factor in how much the insurance company cover and how much the insurance may possibly go up. For me, I would pay out of pocket if the estimate is under 1000 dollars on top of the deductible.
Insurance may not raise rates at all or not that much if they find you not at fault. But with insurance everything is random.
Ignore what the officer said at the scene. I have great respect for owe enforcement, but they Isuzu know very little about insurance and how it works.
Pretty sure Missouri doesn’t have uninsured motorist coverage for property damage. It’s for injuries only. Missouri state law also prevents your insurer from increasing your rates for filing a not at fault claim. That said, you should get estimates for the damage to see if it exceeds your collision deductible or not, assuming you have collision coverage. There’s no point in having a claim, at fault it not, on your record of there’s going to be no payout.
Edited for clarity.