I get your point, but honestly, I'd still consider filing a police report even if insurance isn't involved. Sure, it might not help directly with your claim, but having an official record can be useful down the line—especially if something similar happens again. Plus, some insurance companies offer discounts or perks for reporting incidents promptly, even if you don't claim. Worth double-checking your policy details...could save you some cash later on.
- Not totally convinced a police report always helps, but I get why folks do it.
- Had my minivan sideswiped last year in a grocery lot—nobody saw anything, no cameras. Cops showed up, took the info, but honestly, nothing came of it. Insurance didn’t care much about the report either, just wanted photos and my statement.
- That said... having a record did make me feel a bit more “covered” if something else happened later. Like, if there’d been a pattern or if someone tried to claim I hit them or whatever.
- One thing I learned: some insurance companies are sticklers for timelines. If you wait too long to tell them (even if you’re not making a claim right away), they can get weird about it. Double-check your policy’s fine print—mine actually says to notify them “promptly,” which is vague but could bite you if they want an excuse to deny coverage.
- Discounts for reporting? Never heard of that with my insurer (GEICO), but maybe others do it. Wouldn’t hurt to ask, though I wouldn’t bank on saving much unless you have some kind of accident forgiveness thing.
- If you’ve got comprehensive coverage and the damage is bad enough, might as well get everything on record just in case you decide to claim later. But if it’s just cosmetic and under your deductible... sometimes the hassle isn’t worth it.
Honestly, half the time it feels like all this paperwork is just for their benefit, not ours. But yeah, better safe than sorry if there’s any chance of future headaches.
That’s a good point about timelines—some carriers are super picky about that “prompt” notification. Out of curiosity, has anyone here actually had a claim denied because they waited too long to report? I’ve seen it threatened, but never in real life.
Never actually had a claim denied for late reporting, but I did get a stern warning from my agent once when I waited a week to call about a fender bender. They said next time it could be an issue, especially if there’s any doubt about when the damage happened. I always figured as long as you’re within a few days, you’re fine... but maybe that’s just luck? Has anyone tried pushing back if the insurer gets picky about that?
I’ve had similar worries, honestly. It always feels like there’s this gray area with reporting timelines. My agent once told me that technically, you’re supposed to notify them “promptly,” but what does that even mean? A day? Three days? I think a lot depends on the circumstances and maybe even your relationship with the agent or company.
I did push back once when they questioned a claim I made after five days. It was for my ‘72 Chevelle—someone keyed it at a show, and I didn’t notice till I washed it later. I explained the situation, and they eventually accepted it, though not without some grumbling. I guess if you have a reasonable explanation, most insurers will work with you... but yeah, it’s definitely not guaranteed.
It’s frustrating how much seems to depend on who you talk to or how strict they feel like being that day. Still, as long as you’re honest about what happened and why there was a delay, you’re probably in decent shape. Just don’t let it slide too long, especially if there’s any chance they’ll question the timing.
