GREENSBORO, N.C. — When you make contact with another car, but it’s not major, oftentimes, people call it a “Fender Bender”.
It's the kind of accident that chances are everyone is OK, but it could still cost you some cash to fix it.
Should you get the police involved? The answer is yes, especially if you want insurance to pay for it.
“The insurance company always wants you to always have a police report or a well-documented witness cellphones can do a lot with photographs and video, so you can get it documented,” said Christopher Cook of Alliance Insurance Services.
It used to be, you would ask the other driver involved for their information. But sometimes the phone number or insurance number would be wrong (intentionally or not). The updated recommendation is to take a picture of their license and insurance information.
What happens in a single-car accident?
You swerve to avoid an animal and you run off the road and hit a pole. Does insurance cover it?
“With a single car accident, and you have liability only, there is no claim to be made. If you damaged a fence or a building or something, that's one thing, but if you only have liability, and the only thing damaged is your car, you have no protection,” said Cook.
Having liability coverage is required in North Carolina and it covers you if you cause injury or damage to someone else's property.
Collision and Comprehensive coverage are only required on new cars with loans. If your car is paid off and you don't have this coverage and you’re involved in a single-car crash or a tree falling and damaging your car, the fix would come out of your pocket.