# Not reporting an auto insurance claim right away ..... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 14, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-reporting-an-auto-insurance-claim-right-away/722513 "2015-06-14T15:30:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-reporting-an-auto-insurance-claim-right-away/722513/1 "2015-06-14T15:30:02Z")
…when is it too late? Son brushed up against a wall while parking. It happened almost a year ago. He was afraid his rate would go up and is also a bit of a procrastinator. Now he is getting ready to sell the car and do without for a while. Is it too late to report the claim? Could his rates go up retroactively? ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-reporting-an-auto-insurance-claim-right-away/722513/2 "2015-06-14T16:44:24Z")
Probably too late. Your policy usually has a stipulation that the company must be notified quickly, or else you jeopardize their ability to repair the vehicle. There may be more damage that was caused, like rust. Also, it looks kinda shady. Doesn’t hurt to try, though. The worst they can do is deny. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-reporting-an-auto-insurance-claim-right-away/722513/3 "2015-06-14T18:44:50Z")
You don’t want to lie and say the damage is fresh. They will know the difference and that won’t help your case. Or your rates. ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-reporting-an-auto-insurance-claim-right-away/722513/4 "2015-06-15T15:02:17Z")
My car was hit while parked by an unknown party. When I finally got it repaired, the insurance company said I was at fault because I did not report it to the police within 48 hours. My rates were jacked up for three years. It cost about $2500 to repair the car, I had a $500 deductible. It would have cost me just about the same had I not used insurance (it was basically a loan that I paid back over three years). It sounds to me that your damage is small enough that it would cost you more in increased rates than you would get in reimbursement. I notice your son is not going to get a new car. I don’t think they would hit you for retroactive raises, but I really don’t know. If he is listed as a driver on your car, you may get hit with the increases. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-reporting-an-auto-insurance-claim-right-away/722513/5 "2015-06-15T16:41:35Z")
> [@ethelbert](#): > > My car was hit while parked by an unknown party. When I finally got it repaired, the insurance company said I was at fault because I did not report it to the police within 48 hours. Ho. Lee. Crap. That’s no way to treat people. So that kind of tempers my answer, which I would hope is the more common approach: Unless there is an actual timeline written into your policy then “too late” is the time at which the delay has made it impossible to accurately evaluate the damage; and if another party is at fault then “too late” might be when the delay has impaired the insurer’s ability to collect damages from that responsible party. And premium increases, if any, are not billed retroactively. But it seems YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-reporting-an-auto-insurance-claim-right-away/722513/6 "2015-06-15T16:58:14Z")
I am an underwriter and write professional auto (so your coverage may differ just from that, but also based on your state and individual coverage too). That said, this is pretty boilerplate stuff: > [@](#): > > **Duties In The Event Of Accident, Claim, Suit Or Loss** > > We have no duty to provide coverage under this policy unless there has been full compliance with the following duties: > a. In the event of “accident”, claim, “suit” or “loss”, you must give us or our authorized representative prompt notice of the “accident” or “loss”. Include: > (1) How, when and where the “accident” or “loss” occurred; > (2) The “insured’s” name and address; and… The word “prompt” is ambiguous, but 1 year would definitely not fall under that definition thus removing insurance’s obligation to provide coverage. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-reporting-an-auto-insurance-claim-right-away/722513/7 "2015-06-15T17:15:47Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > The word “prompt” is ambiguous, but 1 year would definitely not fall under that definition thus removing insurance’s obligation to provide coverage. It is pretty standard, and I reckon different insurers are inclined to take full advantage of the letter of the contract. As a practical matter, however, denial of coverage is no small deal. “Because I can” is not the kind of explanation I could comfortably give to a jury in a bad faith lawsuit–especially if the “prompt notice” violation was otherwise unharmful to the company. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-reporting-an-auto-insurance-claim-right-away/722513/8 "2015-06-15T17:47:38Z")
> [@ethelbert](#): > > My car was hit while parked by an unknown party. When I finally got it repaired, the insurance company said I was at fault because I did not report it to the police within 48 hours. My rates were jacked up for three years. > [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > Ho. Lee. Crap. That’s no way to treat people. That’s one perspective. Another is that waiting days/weeks/months to report a claim is no way to treat your insurance company. Especially when it’s stated beforehand that prompt contact is required. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-reporting-an-auto-insurance-claim-right-away/722513/9 "2015-06-15T17:48:00Z")
Way too late IMO.