Being in a car accident is stressful. Your adrenaline is pumping, and your instinct is often to call the insurance company’s 1-800 claims number immediately to report it.

My recommendation to all my clients is different: Call our office first.

Here is why this is so important. When you open a claim, even if you are not at fault, it gets recorded. It acts almost like a “soft credit check”; it leaves a mark on your history that can impact your insurance score.

We can act as your advisor to decide if filing a claim makes financial sense. For example, if you have a fender bender and the repair cost is $1,500, but you have a $1,000 deductible, is it really worth filing a claim to get back $500? Probably not, especially if it might raise your rates later.

Of course, sometimes you have no choice.

I had a client just yesterday who was in a parking lot accident. She said the other driver reversed into her; the other driver claimed she reversed into him. In a situation where fault is disputed, you have to file a claim because the other driver certainly will.

But even then, calling us first allows us to walk you through the process, advise you on getting the police report, and prepare you for what comes next.

We are here to guide you, not just process paperwork.