Is a Fender Bender Expensive?

With so many vehicles on our roads and so many distracted drivers, car accidents are inevitable. It's quite unfortunate that car accidents are a fact of life although fortunately, most of these accidents are usually minor with minimal injuries. However, even these minor accidents can leave significant damages to your car. Fender benders especially should be repaired as soon as they happen so that the auto body repair shop can check for other underlying problems that might become a major issue later on.

Would Minor Accidents Be Expensive to Repair?

In a nutshell, yes. Most people think that fender benders will be cheap to repair since they are minor but this is not usually the case. The accident might not leave a huge dent on the car, but it will probably leave a big one in your wallet. Here are some of the reasons why fender benders are so expensive and how to keep costs low.

Rising Insurance Rates

Most insurance companies have good driver discounts, where they reward drivers who do their best to stay safe. However, after an accident, minor or not, the premiums start picking up. The amount will depend on where you live.

Paying for the Repairs

When you take your car to an auto body repair shop, you hope that the insurance company will cover all the costs. However, if your car is not worth the value of those repairs, they will not pay for it. In this case, the deductible will be on you. If the damages are not extensive and do not affect the car, you can do some minor repairs to keep costs low. Work with companies like Benchmark Motors INC to find out what kind of repairs your car will need.

Renting a Car

While the auto repair shop is taking care of your car, you will still need to move around. There are insurance policies that pay for a rental car, but they don't if it's a complete loss. However, most insurance companies are partnered with car rental agencies, and you could benefit from a corporate rate. This does not mean you should settle for more; shop around to ensure you get the best deal in the market.

Settling Your Car Loan

With a minor accident, you should be back on the road after just a few days. However, if your car is not the same anymore and might need additional repairs, later on, it will not matter to the finance company. They will be expecting their payments on time regardless of whether you are using the car or not.

The best solution is to avoid a fender bender or any other accident as possible. However, in the case that it does happen to you, you need to brace yourself because as minor as that accident is, you will be surprised at how expensive it could be.