When Is Making a Claim on Auto Body Damage Not Worth It?

April 27, 2020 9:14 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

There’s no better way to put a crimp in your day (or week) than getting into a car collision. Regardless of how severe the accident is, we all go through the same emotions. We’re frustrated about the time we’ve lost and the time we’re going to lose not having a car or taking our damaged vehicle to a body shop. We’re aggravated about having to deal with the police, who will show up to fill out an incident report. And finally, we’re terrified about the time-sucking grind that will be involved when we have to get in touch with our insurance company.

But wait—you may not need to go through the hassle of filing a claim. Here are some situations focused on when to file a claim in Visalia, CA, and when you can skip it.

Why avoid filing a claim?

It’s only natural to feel compelled to file a claim with your insurance company whenever you’re in an accident. Ultimately, however, going through these channels could end up costing you time and money. Filing a claim isn’t usually a simple process. You have to call your insurance company and provide a host of details about your vehicle and the incident itself. It’s a complicated, multi-step process that can take weeks to complete.

What’s more, filing a claim can cause your insurance rates to go up, meaning you could very well spend more over the long term than you would if you’d just had the car repaired in the first place.

When you should file a claim

There are some situations in which filing an insurance claim is the smart thing to do. If you’re wondering when to file a claim in Visalia, CA, the simple answer is this: when a collision has resulted in medical issues or a measure of destruction you cannot easily afford to have repaired, you should file a claim with your insurance company.

Though it’s never much fun to do, filing a claim can help pay for damage to other people’s property, it can help fund your medical recovery, and it can put in plain English an otherwise complicated situation. That said, not all accidents require an insurance claim.

The general rule

When it comes to understanding when it’s okay to forgo filing a claim with your insurance company, there’s one general circumstance in which this makes sense: when you’re in a small collision that doesn’t hurt anyone and only damages property that is your own. For example, if you accidentally hit your garage door pulling into or out of your garage, it really doesn’t benefit you to file an insurance claim.

However, in certain situations, it may still be pertinent to file a claim, depending on the cost of damage to your property. There’s no hard and fast rule to follow rule, only some general recommendations.

Don’t take chances

Not sure when not to file a claim in Visalia, CA? No problem! At Tom’s Body & Paint, Inc., we have an entire team of experienced professionals ready and waiting to diagnose your vehicle’s issues. If need be, we’ll even help you work with your insurance company to get the ball rolling, because our only goal is to get you back on the road with minimal hassle and expense. Find out why we’ve been the area’s preferred body shop since 1979—give us a call today!

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