Collision calculator

Your car was damaged in an accident. File a claim, or pay the shop?

An at-fault claim pays for the repair after your deductible, then raises your premium for years. We put the two side by side, with your insurer's typical increase and your state's rules, and tell you which one comes out ahead.

✓ Free ✓ No phone number, no email ✓ We show every number's math

Written by Todd Whittington, Editor·Last reviewed October 19, 2026

1What was damaged?

Pick the closest one, or type the shop's estimate below. An estimate always wins.

Or the shop's estimate

2Who was at fault?

3Was anyone hurt, or is the other driver disputing what happened?

4Your collision deductible

It's on your policy's declarations page, under collision.

5Your insurance company

6Your ZIP code

Tells us your state. Some states limit how much an accident can raise your rate.

7What you pay a year for car insurance

Optional. Without it we use the national average for full coverage.

8Does your policy have accident forgiveness?

9Claims or at-fault accidents in the last 3 years

Three worked examples

All three use the national figures: an at-fault accident adds about 49% a year to a full-coverage premium for three years. Your insurer and your state can change that.

A $600 bumper scuff, $500 deductible, $2,400 a year.

$600 repair − $500 deductible = $100 the claim pays
Rate increase: $2,400 × 49% × 3 years = $3,528

Pay the shop. The claim pays $100 and costs about $3,528.

A $2,500 bumper replacement, $500 deductible, $2,400 a year.

$2,500 repair − $500 deductible = $2,000 the claim pays
Rate increase: $2,400 × 49% × 3 years = $3,528
Paying the shop comes out about $1,528 ahead

Pay the shop. The rate increase costs more than the claim pays.

Change one thing: in Pennsylvania, the law bars a surcharge unless your insurer pays more than $2,350 beyond your deductible. The same $2,000 claim there shouldn't raise your rate, so filing wins.

Someone ran a red light and hit you.

This isn't your claim to file. The other driver's property damage coverage pays for your repair, with no deductible from you, and it doesn't go on your policy. Tell your own insurer about the crash anyway. Then check whether your car lost resale value with the diminished value calculator.

File against their insurance, not yours.

How the calculator decides

It compares two numbers: what the claim pays you today (the repair minus your deductible) and what an at-fault accident would add to your premium (your yearly premium, times the increase, times the years it lasts). If either one is at least 10% bigger, that side wins. Closer than that, we say it's too close to call.

Someone hurt, or a dispute: report it to your insurer today, whatever the money says.
The other driver at fault: their insurance pays, so the math doesn't apply.
The increase: your state's law first, then your insurer's typical figure for your state, then the national average (49% for 3 years). Today every insurer figure is a typical figure from published rate data, not the insurer's own filed number, and the card says so.
State law: California, New York and Pennsylvania bar a surcharge for small accidents, Florida caps one at 36 months, and several states bar one when you weren't at fault. See your state.
Accident forgiveness on your policy, with no claims in three years, takes the increase to $0.
Not sure of your deductible? We assume $500 and say so. No premium? We use the $2,361 national average for full coverage.
No estimate? We use the middle of a typical range for the damage you picked. Those ranges are sample data, not quotes; a shop estimate always replaces them. For scale, the average repairable insurance claim in 2025 was about $4,818 (CCC, preliminary).

Increase figures: at-fault surcharge data (industry_typical, from NerdWallet's published rate table, and state law). Repair ranges: repair-cost-bands.json (sample data, with the sources we compared them to). Average repair: CCC Crash Course 2026. Non-renewal rules: non-renewal-risk.json.

Frequently asked

Will an at-fault accident raise my insurance?

Usually, yes. Nationally, full-coverage rates rise about 49% a year after one at-fault accident, and the increase lasts at least three years. A few states limit it: some bar an increase when you weren't at fault or the damage was small, and Florida caps how long it can last.

Should I file a claim for a small accident?

Compare what the claim would pay after your deductible with what the rate increase would cost you over three years. For a small repair, the increase often costs more than the claim pays, so paying the shop yourself comes out ahead.

Do I have to tell my insurer if I pay for the repair myself?

Most policies require you to tell your insurer about an accident promptly, even if you never file a claim. Telling them is not the same as filing a claim. Your state may also require a police or state report, depending on injuries and damage.

What if the other driver was at fault?

File against their insurance. Their property damage coverage should pay for your repair, with no deductible from you, and the claim isn't on your own policy. You may also be owed your car's lost resale value.

Does accident forgiveness mean I should always file?

No. Forgiveness usually covers one accident, and it often costs extra or has to be earned. Using it on a small repair can leave you without it for a bigger accident later, so for a small job paying cash can still be the better move.