Although a fender bender isn’t as serious as an accident that totals a car, it can still ruin your day and increase your car insurance rates. You may also lose any accident-free or claims-free discounts that you previously received — even if you’re not found at-fault for the fender bender.
How insurance companies define a fender bender
A fender bender is defined as a minor car accident resulting in minimal damage, frequently to the involved car’s bumpers.
This could be a rear-end collision on the road, a slight bump when pulling out of a parking space or any other small collision while driving.
Despite them frequently leading to low-impact property damage, a fender bender is still considered an accident and can result in non-obvious injuries such as whiplash. They can also increase your rates significantly if you’re at fault. Therefore, it’s important to know what to do after a fender bender and understand how it can impact your auto insurance costs.
What to do after a fender bender accident
If you’re in a fender bender, immediately pull over to the side of the road and try to stay calm. Make sure everyone is OK, get the other driver’s contact and insurance information, and then call the police if the damage seems serious.
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 and insurance information with the other motorist involved in the accident.
Here’s what you should get in writing (or in a photo with your phone) from the other driver:
- Full name.
- Phone number and email address.
- Driver’s license and license plate number.
- Car insurance company and policy number.
Along with collecting this driver information, you should always document the scene by taking photos of the damages and weather conditions surrounding the collision. Be sure to get pictures from every angle of the damages that each vehicle endured.
If the incident was severe enough for the police to be involved, you should try and get copies of their accident report. You may also want to record any witness statements to help determine liability.
Having these documents, along with each other’s insurance and contact information, will expedite the claims process for both you and the other driver.
Jerry Tip
Never leave the scene of a crash. No matter how minimal the accident is, you always need to stop and communicate with the other motorist involved. If you leave the scene, you could later be charged with a hit-and-run.
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, if someone was injured and how much the property damages cost.
For instance, many states don’t require you to file a police report if no one was injured and the damages cost less than $1,000. But because it can be difficult to diagnose injuries and calculate the cost of damages on the spot, 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. Decide if you want to file an insurance claim
After you’ve filed with the police, the next important step is deciding if you want to submit a claim with your insurance providers.
If your damages are minimal, and your claim amount is equal to your deductible limits, you might benefit from not filing a claim — your rates after the accident will remain the same and you’ll still qualify for claims-free discounts.
However, keep in mind that even if you and the other driver agree at the scene to not file against one another, there is no law requiring them to keep their word.
If you decide to contact your insurer, read our article on how to file a car insurance claim for more details about the claims process.
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 that doesn’t mean it can’t raise your insurance costs, even if it was just a minor collision.
If you’re deemed at-fault in the accident, your rates could increase significantly. Your insurance rates could still rise even if you’re not at-fault, as you’ll likely become ineligible for any of the at-fault accident or claims-free car insurance discounts that you currently hold.
Learn more: How to find the best cheap car insurance
FAQ
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Is a fender bender considered an accident?
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Should you call the police for a fender bender?
Kayda Norman is an insurance writer and editor with more than 12 years of content experience. She previously worked at NerdWallet as an insurance writer and content management specialist. She has covered a wide range of insurance topics such as high-risk drivers, auto insurance rate factors, and credit-based insurance scores. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today.
Everett Cook is an award-winning journalist and editor with more than 10 years of experience across a variety of industries. In editing for Jerry, Everett’s mission is to help readers have a better understanding of the costs of owning or leasing a car and to better understand their vehicle in terms of insurance and repairs. Prior to joining Jerry, Everett was an editor for Axios. His previous work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Atlantic, Atlantic Re:think, The Boston Globe, USA Today, and others. He’s also been a freelance writer and editor with experience in SEO, audience building, and long-term content roadmaps. Everett is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.
