Auto Insurance Claims: car claim, paint scratches, clue report

Question
I was backing out of a tight parking spot and hit the car next to me.  The car had a very slight dent and some paint scratches.  My car had a much bigger dent to a plastic front fender, but I think it can be popped back out without much problem.  I thought I would just pay the damages out of pocket because I have $500 deductible.  First question:  should I be concerned about filing a claim and having a strike against me with my insurance company?  Will the $500 deductible be applied twice (for my damage as well as the damage to the other car)?  The damage was over a week ago now--is there a problem if I make a claim now?  If I even ask my insurance company what they think I should do, will I get a strike against me on their "clue report?"

Answer
Hi Charles,

Before you do anything with the insurance company, take your car to a body shop to see what the actual repairs will require and what they will cost. Then you can make a better decision. Since you have a $500.00 deductible you may want to pay for the repairs yourself if it is about that much to repair. If it turns out that the cost will be say $1500.00 you may want to consider making a claim.

As far as the other car, you do not have a deductible on your liability coverage. So any payments made to another person would be at 100%.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh