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.
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.
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?
- What constitutes a fender bender in traffic incidents?
- What is an example of a fender bender?
- What’s the difference between a fender bender and a serious accident?
- How much do most fender benders cost?
- Should you call the police for a fender bender?
Source
- https://getjerry.com/car-insurance/whats-a-fender-bender#3-things-to-do-after-a-fender-bender:~:text=Damages%20and%20cost,Applicable%20states1 ↩︎
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.
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.
