Originally Posted by NHDiesel

Exactly. Even with a more major accident, unless someone else's vehicle was damaged, you should strongly consider paying for the repairs out of your pocket. The insurance company will always get their money out of you one way or another. There are a couple ways to look at it. When you have an accident, think of the payout from the ins. company as a loan that you will be paying back over a very long period of time, with interest.

When shopping for insurance, think of it like having a credit card that you never use, but you send payments to anyway. You never use the card, but maybe, after many years of sending monthly payments, you might decide to buy a TV with it. Is that TV worth all those years of payments?

The other problem, which is what started this thread, is that body shops and windshield places overcharge the insurance companies. There should be a law about that. I don't feel bad for the insurance companies, but that extra money they are paying is more money that they will need recover from you with higher premiums.

Jim