- I hear you, but I still file a police report for any hit-and-run, even if it feels pointless. My insurer actually required the report last time or they wouldn’t process the claim. Pain in the neck, but maybe it depends on the company or state rules.
- The “not-at-fault” thing is weird—my rates went up too, even with dashcam footage. Sometimes feels like you can’t win either way...
The “not-at-fault” thing is weird—my rates went up too, even with dashcam footage. Sometimes feels like you can’t win either way...
Yeah, that’s been my experience too. Had a parked car sideswiped last year, filed the police report because my insurer wouldn’t even look at the claim without it. Still ended up with a rate hike, even though I was literally asleep when it happened. The dashcam caught the whole thing but apparently that just made the paperwork longer. Guess it’s just how the system works in some places—feels unfair, but skipping the report seems to make things worse.
Honestly, I get where you’re coming from. It’s wild how you can do everything “right”—file the report, have dashcam proof, even be nowhere near your car—and still end up paying more. The system feels stacked sometimes. But yeah, skipping the police report usually just gives the insurance company an excuse to deny the claim or drag it out longer. Not much of a win either way, but at least with the report you’ve got your bases covered if things get messy.
Ugh, been there, and it’s just the worst. I swear, insurance companies must have a special department for “creative delays.” Filing that police report feels pointless sometimes, but yeah, it’s like giving yourself a little legal seatbelt. At least you know you did all you could—even if your wallet still cries.
Yeah, I totally get that feeling—like you’re just going through the motions for paperwork’s sake. But I learned the hard way once: my car got sideswiped in a parking lot, and I figured, “Eh, it’s just a scratch, insurance will handle it.” Turns out, without the police report, my claim stalled for weeks. The adjuster kept circling back asking for more details I didn’t have. Ever since then, I just bite the bullet and call the cops, even if it feels like overkill.
I do wonder sometimes if it even makes a difference to the insurance folks, or if they just want to see you’ve jumped through all the hoops. It’s frustrating how much of a black box their process is. But yeah, at least with the report, you’ve got your bases covered if anything weird pops up later. Still stings when you see that deductible come out of your pocket though...
