Auto Insurance Claims: Minor damage, insurance premium, san francisco bay area

Question
I was in an accident in couple of months ago.  After investigation, my
insurance company sent me a letter saying that they have determined the
accident to be 100% my fault.  The other party did not have any damage to
their car.  My car had minor damage for which I got an estimate of $770 for
the repair.  My deductible on the policy is $500.  If I decide to pay for the
repair myself, or not to repair it (since the damage is minor), will my
insurance premium go up next year since they determined the accident to be
my fault (even though the insurance company doesn't pay out anything for
the repair)?  I live in CA.

Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Kris,
In California, any accident in which you are at fault and the amount of damage is $750 or more is considered chargeable and will cause your rates to increase even though you never actually have the car repaired.
I strongly recommend that you secure two more estimates for under $750 and present those to your insurance company so they can adjust their records to show the damage was under $750.
I hope this is of help.
Your feedback by rating my answer will be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Bennie
San Francisco Bay Area 12-05-07 10:35 PM PST