# When to file auto insurance claim **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 27, 2014, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-file-auto-insurance-claim/689342 "2014-05-27T02:33:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-file-auto-insurance-claim/689342/1 "2014-05-27T02:33:40Z")
Wife’s car has a parking lot rash on the front bumper cover. Will cost about $1000 to replace and paint. With a $500 deductible is it worth the claim and possible hit on insurance rates or would you just pay for it? Does this sort of claim even affect rates or is it covered by comprehensive? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-file-auto-insurance-claim/689342/2 "2014-05-27T02:41:10Z")
I wouldn’t do either. Chalk it up to normal wear and tear. Next month another scrape will appear. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-file-auto-insurance-claim/689342/3 "2014-05-27T04:18:37Z")
Agrees with **Leaffan**. Unless there is some reason that your wife has to have a pristine looking car, just leave it alone. Not that I think your wife is a snob, but many business people use their cars for work and its important that they (both person and car) look good. I backed our work truck into a concrete post and scuffed the fender. Truck hasn’t been fixed. My 3 year old car has a lot of parking lot dings, and I don’t care because it doesn’t matter. My husband’s car has to be pristine because he uses it to drive clients around. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-file-auto-insurance-claim/689342/4 "2014-05-27T04:27:19Z")
What do you mean by ‘parking lot rash’? That will help answer if it’s comp or collision. ---
**Author:** ![Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kansas_Beekeeper)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-file-auto-insurance-claim/689342/5 "2014-05-27T04:32:11Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I wouldn’t do either. Chalk it up to normal wear and tear. > > Next month another scrape will appear. This. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-file-auto-insurance-claim/689342/6 "2014-05-27T14:06:56Z")
That’s why they are called bumpers. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-file-auto-insurance-claim/689342/7 "2014-05-27T14:15:35Z")
If your wife struck something the odds are that it’ll be considered collision. If you filed a claim I would not be surprised if your rates increased because you are having an active claim and that may make your insurance company take away your “no claims discount,” should they have one. If you have the money I would take a few pictures of the damage for your records and pay out of pocket for the repairs. ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-file-auto-insurance-claim/689342/8 "2014-05-27T15:53:10Z")
My rule of thumb is that I would have to pay about $2000 out of pocket before filing a claim where I would be considered at fault (this is how much more I would pay in premiums till the “accident” rolled off my coverage). The number might be different for you, but I don’t think it would be as low as $500. I also think it would, indeed, be charged as your fault unless you reported it to the police. Since your problem seems to be the result of multiple small collisions, I am sure you haven’t. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-file-auto-insurance-claim/689342/9 "2014-05-27T16:47:34Z")
Thanks all. I think we’ll go out of pocket. Car is brand new Honda Fit and wife loves to have it looking good. Bumper struck a post while being parked. Several deep scratches, broke attachment to fender, popped out a running light and cracked the lower lip. I think I will pop the cover off, glue up the cracks, replace the fender clip and have the cover painted before I reinstall it. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-file-auto-insurance-claim/689342/10 "2014-05-27T17:21:10Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Thanks all. I think we’ll go out of pocket. Car is brand new Honda Fit and wife loves to have it looking good. > > Bumper struck a post while being parked. Several deep scratches, broke attachment to fender, popped out a running light and cracked the lower lip. > > I think I will pop the cover off, glue up the cracks, replace the fender clip and have the cover painted before I reinstall it. Then yes, that would be collision and an at fault accident since she ran into something. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-file-auto-insurance-claim/689342/11 "2014-05-27T17:46:34Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Thanks all. I think we’ll go out of pocket. Car is brand new Honda Fit and wife loves to have it looking good. > > Bumper struck a post while being parked. Several deep scratches, broke attachment to fender, popped out a running light and cracked the lower lip. > > I think I will pop the cover off, glue up the cracks, replace the fender clip and have the cover painted before I reinstall it. Well, I think if you stated that in the OP, instead of “parking lot rash on the front bumper cover” some of the responses would have been different. I pictured a scraped bumper.