Claim or pay yourself?
Enter the repair estimate, your deductible and your premium. The calculator weighs what a claim pays against what an at-fault surcharge could cost over the next few years.
A starting value; ask your insurer.
- Claiming leaves you
- —
- —
- Claim pays you
- —
- Extra premium, all years
- —
- Break-even repair cost
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- Below this, paying yourself costs less under these assumptions.
Ask an agent how a claim would change your premium
After a claim, the policy you had is the one you can still change. Describe your situation and Valoroath passes it to licensed insurance agents and insurers who can review your coverage and quote, if you want them to. Valoroath itself does not sell insurance or handle claims.
- 1 Five questions about your car, your record and your policy.
- 2 Who to ask for, and your consent to be contacted.
- 3 A licensed insurance agent or insurer reviews what you have. You change nothing unless you choose to.
Sending this request shares your answers and contact details with the licensed insurance agents and insurers who receive it, which some state privacy laws treat as a sale; see your privacy choices. An agent reviews your coverage; they can't take on your claim or a dispute with your insurer. You pay Valoroath nothing. The licensed insurance agents and insurers who contact you pay Valoroath for requests and set their own prices and terms; your claim stays with your insurer. How we make money.
How the comparison works
A collision claim pays the repair cost minus your deductible. If the crash was your fault, many insurers then add a surcharge to your premium for a few years. The calculator multiplies your yearly premium by the surcharge and the number of years, and subtracts that from what the claim pays.
Worked example: a $3,000 repair, a $500 deductible, a $1,800 premium and a 40% surcharge for 3 years. The claim pays $2,500; the surcharge costs $2,160; claiming leaves you $340 ahead. The break-even repair cost is $2,660.
What it leaves out
- A not-at-fault crash: the other driver's liability insurer should pay, and many states limit surcharges when you weren't at fault. See premium increases after an accident.
- Accident forgiveness, a lost claim-free discount, and premiums that change for other reasons.
- Injuries or damage to someone else: report those to your insurer whatever the repair cost, because a later claim against you needs your liability coverage. See paying for a minor accident without a claim.