Hey guys, i just got into a minor accident today. It was my fault as i hit someone in front of me at a light. everyone is ok and we swapped insurance info. the other car has zero damage and they didnt really care to go thru insurance, but we swapped info just in case.

so my question is how i should repair my car. i can post pic later, but the hood has a sharp indent from a trailer hitch. the bumper crasked, and one of the headlight casings cracked. no major damage at all. i am going to get an estimate to see if i should pay out of pocket or use my insurance. i've called my insuarnce company and opened a claim just to be safe. but i always have the option of declining their money, avoid having my rates go up, and fixing it myself.

so here's what i need to reair:

1 new hood.
1 new front bumper
1 right-side head light outer case.

should i try and fix this on my own thru the acura body shop? technically, since i have the helms manual, i could almost order the parts and repair it myself. though i dont have the equipment to really go thru with that. what do you guys recommend?

i priced out the parts i need, and it looks to be about $268 for new bumper, 327 for new head light assembly, and 348 for new engine hood. plus labor i guess. what shall i do?

 

well i don't think the hood and bumper come painted, so overall you are looking at a pretty large bill. I would go through insurance unless you have that kinda money laying around.

plus, if you open up a claim with your insurance company notifying them that you were involved in an accident and it was your fault, won't they increase your rates anyways?

 

i'm pretty sure they only raise your rates if they have to pay out money to you for your negligence. If i decline their help my rates should stay the same.

Regardless, i'm going to go thru them for repairs. Thats what insurance is for right? Ah well.

 

for incident and repair that minor, your insurance rate will go up marginally, if any. Go with insurance. The professional body shops will do a better repair job.

 

that was my next question. so do the rates increase based on the dollar amount you've claimed on your insurance? meaning, something minor like this prob wont affect my rates as much as if i was involved in a head on collision and totalled the car?

 

I belive it will be relative to what the insurance company has to pay and what your history is. Making a common mistake is one thing, destroying your car because you lost control at 90 MPH is another and insurance would treat them differently. My wife has hit people twice in her life similar to what you did - both very minor. Rates didn't go up in either case.

You can always ask your insurance what would happen - they should be able to tell you.

 

Get the total estimate, including paint and labour. My experience has been that parts probably represent 30-50% of the total price of the repairs. Your parts are over $1000, so you may be looking at $2000-$3000 total.

ASk your insurance company what would happen to your premiums following an at fault claim... and how long the upcharge will apply. Then, you can figure out whether you want to eat the cost of the repairs, or make a claim...

Good luck with that, please make sure you get good (OEM or reputable) parts to repair. I know a number of people who used replacement parts, and they begin rusting through within 2 years....

 

you should look at my wrecck..
btw i have my passenger headlight. if thats what u mean by right...
you can prolly use the outer of it if youd like.. for some $$$.
but ya.. the parts dont come painted. unless you find an 06+ hood lying around anywhere in ur matching color.. it was tough. i ended up going thru getting my parts new.