The Science of a Fender Bender

Oh my goodness, I just hit that car!” “How much is this going to cost me, and what’s going to happen to my insurance?” In the heat of the moment, these are the instinctual thoughts of any driver who’s had the unpleasant experience of a fender bender. Even the smallest and most innocuous auto collision can have lasting financial repercussions — regardless of fault. What’s a driver to do?

There is an abundance of misinformation floating around the Internet that will convince you why you should pay out-of-pocket for small fender benders — especially if you have any previous accidents or moving violations on your driving record. At the scene of a collision, don’t be so quick to financially resolve the accident by writing a check or accepting the other driver’s available cash on hand.

There is a reason that your state requires a certain level of car insurance: car repairs always have unexpected costs and personal injuries sometimes take unforeseen turns towards chronic physical injury. If you choose to not report an accident to your insurance company, you are taking an uncalculated risk that you are probably not prepared for. If the other driver chooses to sue you months later, your failure to report the accident might cause your insurer to refuse to honor the policy. Imagine the financial and legal challenge of taking on an insurance company all by yourself.

Auto accidents are expensive and inconvenient; however, having the lowest possible deductible probably isn’t going to make a difference in the long-term costs of such an event. Instead, you should consider increasing your deductibles to lower the overall cost of your premiums. It’s one of the best ways to save on your car insurance. Yes, a collision will be a little more expensive, but you’re probably not going to experience enough accidents to justify the forgone savings. If you’re a safe and responsible driver, save on your overall premium, not on the out-of-pocket costs in an accident.

As with anything, preparation is the key to successfully navigating the administrative headaches of a fender bender. Always have a pen and paper readily available next to your proof of insurance. You’ll want to collect the names and addresses of all drivers, passengers, witnesses, and law enforcement officials involved; in addition to license plate numbers, the make and model of each car, driver’s license numbers, insurance information, and as much scenario detail as possible. There are two points of wisdom that strongly support any resolution that most people overlook: 1.) Never admit fault, and 2.) Have a disposable camera handy to take undisputable images of the scene. In any type of auto accident, everything happens in a flash and “hindsight is 20-20”.

If a fender bender has bruised your driving record and you are suffering from what seems to be unreasonable premiums, don’t be a prisoner to your insurance company. There are companies that specialize in insuring high risk drivers with reasonable rates. To find them you must shop around and compare multiple quotes from multiple companies. The same policy can vary by hundreds of dollars from company to company.