Do You Need to Get Insurance Involved After a Small Accident?

Last Updated on December 11, 2025

You were involved in a small accident and now you’re debating whether to tell your insurer or just pay for the damage yourself.

Does insurance really need to get involved if there were only minor damages and no obvious injuries? Do you really need to report every accident to your insurer?

This guide explains when you should involve insurance after a small accident, when you might safely handle things on your own, and how doing the wrong thing can cost you much more later.

Key Takeaways

• Most auto policies require you to promptly report any accident that could lead to a claim, even if the damage or injuries seem minor at first.
• State law usually requires you to report a crash to police or the DMV if someone is hurt, a vehicle can’t be driven, or property damage exceeds a set dollar threshold.
• The main time you might skip involving insurance is for very minor, no-injury damage to your own vehicle or property that you can easily pay for out of pocket.
• You can contact your insurer for an “insurance inquiry” to understand your options and potential rate impact before deciding whether to file a claim.

Quick Answer: Most of the Time, Yes

For any accident involving another person, another vehicle, possible injuries, or damage that might be close to (or above) your deductible, you should assume your insurance company needs to know about it.

There is one common exception: truly minor damage to your own vehicle or property on your own property (for example, misjudging the garage door and scuffing your bumper). In that case, if you’re certain nobody else is involved, there are no injuries, and the repair cost is clearly below or near your deductible, you may reasonably decide to pay out of pocket and skip a claim. Even then, your policy may still require that you notify your insurer of the incident.

Before deciding, you should understand your legal duties and what your policy actually requires.

When Do You Have to Report an Accident to Police or the DMV?

First, it’s important to know what the law requires after a crash. Accident reporting rules vary by state, but most states require that you report a crash if:

• Someone is injured or killed
• There’s significant property damage (each state sets its own dollar threshold, often around $1,000 to $2,500 in total damage)
• A vehicle can’t be safely driven away from the scene

Many minor fender benders happen in parking lots. Maybe you lightly bump another vehicle at low speed and there are no obvious injuries. If both cars have only small scrapes and the damage appears to be well below your state’s reporting threshold, police may not need to come to the scene.

On the other hand, if you get into a T-bone collision at an intersection, you may need to call law enforcement. There could be serious injuries, airbag deployment, or thousands of dollars in damage. In that situation, the law usually requires a police report, and your insurer will want a copy of that report when you file a claim.

If you aren’t sure whether your state requires you to report a crash, it’s safer to call the non-emergency police line and ask. If in doubt, report it. Failing to report a legally reportable crash could lead to fines, license points, or issues with your insurer later.

Police can also help document the scene and interview witnesses, then file a formal report. That documentation can be critical if an injury or dispute over fault arises later.

If the roads are extremely busy or weather is bad, dispatchers may tell you that officers can’t respond. In that case, they may direct you to move vehicles to a safe place (such as a nearby gas station) and exchange information, or to file a report later online or at a police station.

Small Accident Now, Big Problem Later: Hidden Injuries & Damage

One reason “tiny” accidents become messy is that not everything is obvious at the scene.

Some injuries, like whiplash, concussions, or soft tissue damage, can take days or even weeks to appear. You might feel perfectly fine at the scene, decline medical care, and then wake up the next morning with a stiff neck or headaches.

If you never called police or notified your insurer, the other driver (or their insurer) could later argue that the injury wasn’t related to the crash. Without a police report or basic documentation, it becomes your word against theirs.

Vehicle damage can be sneaky, too. A small bump to your bumper could hide frame, sensor, or alignment damage that costs far more than you expected. If you agreed to “just pay cash” at the scene and didn’t tell your insurer, you might regret that choice when a surprise repair estimate shows up.

Do You Have to Report Every Accident to Your Insurance Company?

Now to the big question: do you have to tell your insurer about every accident?

Almost every car insurance policy in the United States requires drivers to promptly report any accident or loss that might lead to a claim. This “duty to report” is written into your policy contract. Failing to notify your insurer can give the company grounds to deny coverage or cancel your policy later – even if the original accident seemed minor.

Why people try to avoid reporting accidents

• They’re worried their insurance premiums will increase.
• They think they can “work it out” with the other driver without involving insurers.
• They think the damage is too small to matter or “not worth bothering insurance over.”

These decisions can backfire badly if injuries surface later, the other driver changes their story, or the repair bill turns out to be much higher than expected.

Why It’s Usually Smart to Report Every Accident

In many cases, you should report every accident to your insurance company even if you ultimately decide not to file a claim. Here’s why.

1. Your policy requires prompt notice.
If your policy says you must report any accident “promptly” and you don’t, your insurer can argue that you violated the contract. If a claim comes up later, they may be allowed to deny coverage because you didn’t give them a chance to investigate in a timely way.

2. The other driver can still report the accident.
Maybe you and the other driver agree at the scene not to involve insurance. Later, their neck starts to hurt, or the body shop finds hidden damage. They call their car insurance company and file a claim anyway. Their insurer then calls your insurer.

If you never reported the crash, your company could say you broke the rules and limit or deny certain protections. You could end up paying out of pocket for something that would have been covered if you’d simply made a quick call after the accident.

3. Unreported damage can complicate future claims.
Imagine you back into a light pole in a parking lot and dent your bumper. You don’t tell your insurer and pay for a cheap repair out of pocket. A few months later, someone rear-ends you at a traffic light.

When you file a claim for the new crash, your insurer might question which damage is from the first accident and which is from the second. They may reduce what they’ll pay or dispute parts of your claim because there’s pre-existing, undocumented damage.

To avoid messy disputes like this, it’s usually wise to notify your insurer of any accident as soon as you can, even if you think it’s “no big deal.”

When You Might Not Need to Get Insurance Involved

Are there any situations where not involving insurance is reasonable? Possibly—but they’re narrow.

The only time you should seriously consider not reporting an accident to your insurer is when all of the following are true:

• The accident involved only your vehicle and your own property (no other cars, no other people).
• There are absolutely no injuries to you or anyone else.
• The damage is clearly minor and you can comfortably afford repairs out of pocket.
• The damage amount is at or below your deductible, and filing a claim wouldn’t make financial sense.
• Your lender or lease company does not require you to report all damage.

For example, if you back into your garage door at low speed or scrape your fence pulling out of the driveway, you might decide not to get insurance involved and just fix it yourself.

Even in these scenarios, remember that your policy might still technically require notification, and some insurers prefer to know about all losses, even if no payment is made. When in doubt, you can always call and ask what your obligations are.

You Can Call Your Insurer Without Filing a Claim

Many drivers don’t realize this: you can contact your insurance company just to ask questions or report an incident, without actually opening a claim. This is often called an insurance inquiry.

You might say, “I was involved in a small accident, everyone is okay, and I’m trying to decide whether to file a claim or pay cash. What are my options?” The representative can explain how the claim would be handled, whether your deductible applies, and how the accident might affect your rates.

This approach helps you:

• Comply with your policy’s duty to report accidents
• Get guidance on whether filing a claim is worth it
• Avoid surprises later if the other party reports the accident

Keep in mind that your insurer may note this conversation on your file. One or two inquiries typically won’t affect your premium, but frequent incidents— even without paid claims—can make you look like a higher-risk driver.

What About Small Comprehensive Claims?

Not all claims involve another driver. Sometimes, damage comes from weather, theft, animals, or falling objects.

Let’s say a tree branch falls on your hood and leaves a large scratch that will cost about $400 to fix. If you have a $500 comprehensive deductible, filing a claim doesn’t make sense because you’d pay the entire repair cost anyway.

In general, comprehensive coverage claims (for non-collision events like hail, theft, glass damage, or falling objects) are less likely to raise your rates than at-fault collision claims. But repeated comprehensive claims in a short period can still affect your premiums.

So, if the damage is:

• Well below your comprehensive deductible, and
• Not severe, and
• Fully within your ability to pay out of pocket

…you may prefer to skip the claim. But you can still notify your insurer first and confirm how a claim would affect you before deciding.

Will Filing a Small Claim Raise My Insurance Rates?

We get it: the biggest fear about calling your insurer is that your premiums will shoot up.

However, filing a claim doesn’t automatically mean your rates will rise. After you file a claim, the insurer looks at several factors:

Accident severity: Larger payouts generally mean a higher chance of a rate increase. A small cosmetic repair is less serious than a major crash.

Fault: If the other driver was clearly at fault and their insurer pays, your rates may not change. If you’re found mostly or fully at fault, your premium is more likely to go up.

Accident forgiveness: Some companies sell accident forgiveness. With this feature, your first at-fault accident may not trigger a rate increase, as long as you meet the company’s conditions.

Claim type: As mentioned, comprehensive claims (hail, theft, falling objects, animal strikes) may affect your rates less than at-fault collision claims, especially if they’re rare.

Your prior record: A clean driving history and no prior claims give you more “wiggle room.” Multiple accidents or claims in a short period, even small ones, make a rate increase more likely.

Because every insurer prices risk differently, the only way to know for sure is to ask your company—and if your premium does go up, to shop around and compare quotes.

Step-by-Step: What to Do After a Minor Accident

If you’re in a small accident, follow this checklist before deciding whether to involve insurance:

• Check for injuries. If anyone might be hurt, call 911 right away.
• Move to safety. If possible, move vehicles out of traffic to a safe spot.
• Call police if required. If there are injuries, major damage, or your state requires it, call law enforcement and follow their instructions.
• Exchange information. Share names, phone numbers, driver’s license numbers, license plates, and insurance details with the other driver.
• Document the scene. Take photos of damage, the other vehicle, license plates, the road, skid marks, and anything else that could help document damage and gather evidence.
• Gather witness info. If anyone saw the crash, get their contact information.
• Notify your insurer. Call your insurance company or use the app to report the incident and ask about your options.
• Decide whether to file a claim. After you understand the damage estimate, your deductible, and how a claim might affect your rates, decide whether to proceed with a claim or handle it out of pocket (if appropriate).

FAQs on Involving Insurance After a Small Accident

Final Word: When in Doubt, Report It

Most auto insurance policies expect you to report every accident that could lead to a claim, even if it seems minor. Not reporting a crash can create serious problems later—especially if someone turns out to be injured, the damage is worse than it looked, or the other driver changes their story.

For truly minor, no-injury accidents involving only your vehicle and your own property, and damage clearly below your deductible, you might decide to pay for repairs yourself. But for anything involving another person, another car, possible injuries, or unclear repair costs, getting insurance involved is usually the safest move.

When in doubt, call your insurer, report what happened, and ask for guidance before you make any promises or pay anyone out of pocket.