Should I file this claim?

THE SHORT ANSWER

A claim is worth filing when the insurance payout clears your surcharge-over-time by a comfortable margin. The two numbers to know: the payout (repair minus deductible) and the extra premium over the claim-rating period. The second one you have to ask the carrier for; there is no reliable national average.

Enter the four numbers

Repair estimate

Get a written estimate from a body shop or your adjuster.

Expected yearly premium increase

From your renewal notice, or ask the carrier what a surcharge would add. NAIC and III don’t publish a national percentage we can trust.

Collision deductible

Were you at fault?

How long does the increase apply?

Varies by insurer and state. Three years is the most common; some carriers surcharge for five or seven.

This is an estimate, not a quote. The calculator does arithmetic on the numbers you enter; actual rates depend on carrier underwriting.

How we calculate this

Two pieces of arithmetic. Nothing modeled.

payout             = max(0, repair_cost − deductible)
extra_premium_total = expected_yearly_increase × years
net                = payout − extra_premium_total

We don’t prefill expected_yearly_increase. NAIC’s auto-insurance consumer page is explicit that increases are “more likely” after an at-fault accident but publishes no percentage; the Insurance Information Institute does not publish one either. Secondary aggregators cite wildly different numbers depending on carrier, state, and claim type. The honest input is to ask your carrier what a surcharge would add, or pull it off a renewal notice if you have one, and enter that figure.

Verdict rules:

FILE IT

At-fault AND payout ≥ 1.5 × extra_premium_total. The payout clears the surcharge with margin.

TOO CLOSE TO CALL

At-fault AND payout > extra_premium_total but < 1.5 × extra_premium_total. Thin margin; gives up value if the surcharge comes in higher than you entered.

PAY IT YOURSELF

At-fault AND payout ≤ extra_premium_total. Filing costs more than it pays.

FILE IT (NOT-AT-FAULT)

Not-at-fault branch: many states restrict surcharges and your carrier may not raise your rate at all. The payout stands on its own; the expected-increase number you entered may not apply.

NO PAYOUT

The repair is at or below the deductible, so the insurer owes nothing. Filing is almost never worth it; a sub-deductible claim can still show on CLUE.

Qualitative addition the tool’s math does not capture: filing a claim typically adds it to your LexisNexis CLUE report, which other insurers can see when you shop. Multiple recent claims can affect pricing beyond your current carrier’s surcharge, even if the current carrier’s own rating period has ended.

Common questions

Why don’t you prefill a typical surcharge percentage?

Because no primary source we trust publishes a national percentage. NAIC’s auto-insurance consumer page says only that "premium increases are always more likely when an accident is your fault" without a specific number; the Insurance Information Institute does not publish one either. Secondary aggregators cite ranges that vary wildly by carrier, state, prior history, and claim type. Pull the specific number from your renewal notice or ask the carrier what a surcharge would add, and enter that; the tool’s math is only as good as the number you type.

Does the surcharge apply if I was not at fault?

Many states restrict insurers from surcharging for not-at-fault accidents. Rules vary; use the state requirements checker for your state to see the current framework and the DOI source. Even in states that permit it, carriers often choose not to surcharge the first not-at-fault accident on your record.

How long does a claim stay on my record?

The rating period on your own policy is typically three to five years, with some carriers running to seven. The claim itself stays on your LexisNexis CLUE report longer — commonly seven years — which other insurers can pull when you shop. Multiple recent claims can affect what you’re offered by a new carrier, independent of your current carrier’s surcharge.

Should I file a sub-deductible claim?

Usually not. The insurer owes nothing when the repair is at or below your deductible, but the claim can still show up on CLUE and factor into pricing elsewhere. Pay a sub-deductible repair out of pocket and keep the claims record clean.

Does the tool send my repair cost or expected increase anywhere?

No. All math runs in your browser. The only thing we log for product analytics is the verdict label (file it / too close / pay yourself / not-at-fault / no payout). Dollar amounts never leave the browser.

Sources

Auto insurance consumer guide (NAIC’s "more likely" phrasing is the authoritative statement on surcharge likelihood) (National Association of Insurance Commissioners)
Should I file a car insurance claim? (plain-English decision tree) (YesWeSure)
Will my insurance go up after a claim? (carrier-by-carrier context) (YesWeSure)
How can I save money on auto insurance (claim-history context) (Insurance Information Institute)

Last reviewed October 25, 2026.