Auto Insurance Claims: Rear Ended, premiun, hypothetical question

Question
I recently rear ended a bus, and it simply took off.  I dont know if they felt my 'bump' or not.  Obviously, i know its my fault.  However, since there was no claim filed from the other car/bus, what sort of actions can or do I take from here.  I cannot afford to pay for my own damages, therefore, I am going to file the accident to my insurance company.  Will this type of accident (with no claim from the other car) hike up my auto insurance, and if so, can you give me an estimate of this increase?

Answer
Hi LJ,

Your insurance comapny will ask you to identify the bus that you hit. Was it a city bus or a school bus? did you get the license plate number, etc. If you did get this info they will likely try to contact the people to see if there was damage and if they want to make a claim. If you did not get this info then they will just leave well enough alone unless they are contacted by the owner of the bus. Considering they did not stop and do not have your info, there will likely be claim made.

As for your damage, this will be considered an at-fault event. Each insurance company has its own guidelines on how much the premium will increase. Generally, if there is an increase it will be anywhere from 15% to 40%. You can call your insurance agent and just ask a hypothetical question about how much the premiun will increase with an at-fault accident. That way you will know in advance. In any event, your premiums will not be increased until your policy renews.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh