How a Little Fender Bender Can Greatly Affect Your Car Insurance
Fender bender is a term that is used to refer to a collision between two automobiles wherein there is very little damage caused to either or both of them. The fact is, no matter how small the incident, you can be sure of the fact that it is going to have an impact on your auto insurance.
Your Auto Insurance, Discounts And Your Driving Records
Firstly, let us consider the time when you are buying a new automobile and thus looking for the car insurance. The fact is, there are many discount offers from which you can save money – but you will get the discount only if you have maintained an error free driving record, which means no accidents and speeding tickets. Now, even if it is a minor fender bender in Littlerock, CA, the chances are that, the cops are going to keep a record of this, and so when the time comes for a renewal of the car insurance policy, you cannot expect to get that discount any more.
There's a second way to get a discount on your car insurance and this included opting for a course in safe driving. In other words, if you have opted for this course, you become eligible for a discount – but the fender bender is likely to harm your coverage here as well, as the insurance company is sure to point out the incident even after you had taken the course. So here's another way it can impact your coverage.
Increasing The Deductibles And Sorting Out The Fender Benders
So by now, it is established that even fender benders can impact your auto insurance coverage. So what should you do to maintain a good record and keep getting a good deal?
You can consider increasing your deductibles – in fact; this is the right thing to do. A deductible is the claim amount that you as the insured person pay yourself before the insurance company pays any balance amount that is due. You will get a good deal here because what you are doing is actually reducing the financial commitment and thus the risk of the auto insurance company by making a commitment to make a part of the payment. And because of this, when you increase your deductibles, you will definitely end up paying less premiums.
There are many drivers who prefer to settle the matter among themselves if it is just a minor fender bender and not involve the vehicle insurance company at all. There is some logic in this. But it might be a good idea to keep a camera ready and take pictures just as a precautionary measure to ensure that there are no problems later on. Also, always keep a paper and pen with you and note down the address and name of the driver, the passengers, the witness if any, and also details of the law enforcement official. And of course you must take a note of the model and the make of the automobile and the license plate number as well.