Fender benders are minor accidents that happen at low speeds—but they can raise your rates by 45%. Here’s how to manage the aftermath and lower costs.

Written by Kianna Walpole

Edited by Amy Bobinger

Updated on May 31, 2024

Jump to:

What is a fender bender?
3 things to do after a fender bender
Filing an insurance claim after a fender bender
Fender benders can impact your car insurance costs
The best car insurance companies for after a fender bender
FAQ
Meet our experts

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A fender bender is a minor car accident that occurs while driving at low speeds. Although damage from fender benders is minimal, your

car insurance

rates can rise if you’re found at-fault. You may also lose any accident-free or claims-free discounts you previously received.

What is a fender bender?

A fender bender is a type of car accident resulting in minor damage to a vehicle’s bumper or fender. This could range from a rear-end collision, to a bump when pulling out of a parking space, or any other small collisions while driving.

Despite the low-impact property damage, a fender bender is still considered an accident and can result in injuries, such as whiplash, bruising, and fractures—and can increase your rates by 45% if you’re found at-fault. Therefore, it’s important to know what to do after a fender bender, who to contact, and how it can impact your car insurance costs.

Learn more:

How much does your insurance go up after an accident?

3 things to do after a fender bender

If you're in a fender bender, immediately pull to the side of the road and try to stay calm. Make sure everyone is okay, call the police if the damage seems serious, and get the other driver’s contact and insurance information.

1. Exchange information and document the scene

Once you’ve made sure that no one has been physically harmed, you’ll want to exchange contact information and insurance information with the other motorist.

Here’s what you should get in writing (or in a photo with your phone) from the other driver:

Full name

Phone number (and possibly email address)

Driver’s license and license plate number

Car insurance policy number

Car insurance company

Along with collecting driver information, you should always document the scene by taking photos of the damages and conditions surrounding the collision.

Be sure to get every angle of the damages each vehicle endured and to take note of traffic and weather conditions, as well as the positions of traffic signs and lights. If possible, you may want to record any witness statements to help determine liability.

Having this information on hand, along with the insurance and contact information, will expedite the claims process for both of you.

Never leave the scene of the crash. No matter how minimal the accident is, you should always stop and communicate with the other motorist involved. If you leave the scene, you could be charged with a hit-and-run, which will be more detrimental to your record and your auto insurance rates.

Learn more:

How long do you have to file a claim?

2. Call the police—and file a report

Whether or not you need to file a police report depends on your state’s car accident reporting requirements, whether or not someone was injured, and how much property damages cost.

Take a look at the table below to see when to file report after an accident in your state:

Damages and cost	Applicable states1
Death, injury, or property damage exceeding $50	Tennessee
Death, injury, or property damage exceeding $700-$750	Washington, Indiana
Death, injury, or property damage exceeding $500	Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico Only applies if crash occurs with an uninsured motorist
Death, injury, or property damage exceeding $1,000	Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming
Death, injury, or property damage exceeding $1,500	Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, New York This reporting limit changes to $500 if any vehicle is uninsured
Death, injury, or property damage exceeding $2,000-$2,500	Alaska, Oregon* *Drivers must call 911 if any fatalities or injuries occur
Death, injury, or property damage exceeding $3,000	Hawaii, Vermont
Property damages exceeding $250	District of Columbia
Death or injury	Maryland, Virginia
Injury or property damage	Puerto Rico
All damages	Colorado, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania
Not required to submit report	Iowa* Drivers do not* need to submit a report if damages exceed $1,500 and the scene is investigated by police

Many states don’t require you to file a police report if no one was injured and the damages cost less than $1,000. Because it can be difficult to calculate the cost of damages on the spot, however, it may be best to err on the side of caution and file a police report anyway—especially if you plan on submitting an insurance claim.

3. File an insurance claim

After you’ve filed with the police, it’s also important to remember to submit a claim with your insurance provider—regardless of the amount of damage or injuries. Although you and the other driver can agree to not file against one another, there is no law requiring them to keep their word; so it’s always best to submit anyway to avoid future financial complications.

Filing an insurance claim after a fender bender

Fender benders are more common than you think. According to data from the Insurance Information Institute, approximately

2,949 vehicle accidents in 2021

were rear-end collisions, while 549 involved a parked vehicle.

However, regardless of their frequency, all fender benders should still be taken seriously, and reported to your car insurance provider. This is especially true if another vehicle was involved and if there were any injuries to either party.

To file a car insurance claim after a fender bender, you can either call your insurance company at their toll-free number, or through their mobile app, if this feature is offered. When filing, you will need to provide the following information:

Name, insurance, policy number, and contact information for all parties

Location, date, and time of incident

A brief description of the accident

Weather conditions

Photo evidence of damages and injuries

Copy of police report, if applicable

It’s important that you don’t speculate about any details while relaying a fender bender to an insurance agent. Keep the conversation factual so they can get a better idea of the situation and determine fault among drivers.

Keep in mind: If your damages are minimal, and claim amount is equal to your deductible limits, you might benefit from not filing a claim. This way, your rates after the accident will remain the same, and you’ll still qualify for claims-free discounts.

Fender benders can impact your car insurance costs

A fender bender may not be as serious as getting T-boned or enduring a head-on collision at high speeds—but it doesn’t mean that it can’t raise your insurance costs, even if it was a minor collision.

If you’re deemed at-fault in the accident, your rates could increase by 45% per year. Even if you’re not at-fault, your insurance rates could still rise, as you’ll likely become ineligible for any at-fault accidents or claims-free car insurance discounts that you currently hold.

Regardless of whether or not you’re responsible for the crash, you can still find cheap insurance after a fender bender by shopping with

Jerry

. With the Jerry app, drivers can find customized quotes in a matter of minutes. Start by creating your profile and selecting your ideal coverage limits. Then, review over a dozen quotes from the top insurers in your area.

Once you’ve found a policy that fits your financial and insurance needs, secure it and select your start date. The entire process from start to finish takes one to two hours.

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The best car insurance companies for after a fender bender

If renewal rolls around and you notice your rates have increased, don’t stress. You can still find lower coverage with some of the top providers in the nation. Here are some of the best rates for drivers after a fender bender for both minimum and full coverage policies.

Insurance company	Monthly minimum coverage cost	Monthly full coverage cost
Travelers	$49	$161
State Auto	$60	$208
Anchor General	$62	$157
Safeco	$66	$183
Madison Mutual	$67	$169
Clearcover	$74	$158
Kemper	$75	$215
Allstate	$92	$229
Progressive	$97	$212
Aspire Advantage	$111	$233
National General	$113	$223
AAA	$123	$266

Learn more:

How to find the best cheap car insurance

FAQ

Is a fender bender considered an accident?

Fender benders are considered motor vehicle accidents, even if they’re minor. As such, they should be treated seriously and reported to both the police and your insurance provider.

What constitutes a fender bender in traffic incidents?

Fender benders are generally minor crashes that occur at low speeds, such as bumping a vehicle’s fender in a parking lot, or small rear-end collisions. The damage is often minimal, but can still result in injuries that may require medical attention.

What is an example of a fender bender?

An example of a fender bender could be a distracted driver in slow-moving traffic rear-ending a stopped car, or someone slowing too late at a stop sign and hitting another vehicle. Both occur at low speeds, and are classified as fender benders.

What’s the difference between a fender bender and a serious accident?

Fender benders happen at low speeds, and often don’t result in significant injuries or damages. Serious crashes, on the other hand, occur at higher speeds and can result in severe injuries or fatalities, and extensive vehicle damage.

How much do most fender benders cost?

The average cost of repairs and medical expenses after a fender bender will depend on your injuries, the other driver’s injuries, and overall damages. Other factors to consider are towing expenses, if needed, and where your vehicle is repaired.

Should you call the police for a fender bender?

It’s not required for drivers to call the police after a fender bender if there are no damages or injuries. However, if there are substantial injuries that require medical attention (i.e. whiplash, sprains, cuts, etc.), you should contact the police and report it to your insurance provider.

Meet our experts

Kianna Walpole

Expert Insurance Writer & Editor

Kianna Walpole is an insurance writer and editor with a comprehensive background in consumer behavior and online publishing. With experience in car insurance, maintenance, and repair, she is dedicated to building informative content that helps customers reduce costs while achieving the best service. Prior to joining the Jerry editorial team, Kianna worked as a junior editor in the content marketing industry, using consumer data and key insights to create and edit content for an array of large-scale clients in the real estate, cybersecurity, and healthcare industries.

Amy Bobinger

Licensed Insurance Agent — Expert Insurance Editor

Expert insurance writer and editor Amy Bobinger specializes in car repair, car maintenance, and car insurance. Amy is passionate about creating content that helps consumers navigate challenges related to car ownership and achieve financial success in areas relating to cars.

Amy has over 10 years of writing and editing experience. After several years as a freelance writer, Amy spent four years as an editing fellow at WikiHow, where she co-authored over 600 articles on topics including car maintenance and home ownership. Since joining Jerry’s editorial team in 2022, Amy has edited over 2,500 articles on car insurance, state driving laws, and car repair and maintenance.

SOURCES

https://www.enjuris.com/car-accident/accident-reporting-requirements/