Involve insurance or not?

[Trainmaster]

Mister, you're right. There's no requirement to report to your insurer in New York, though your insurance policy may require it for liability reasons.

And the accident was already reported to the police. Since CarFax pays the State of New York for its accident information, anyone involved in a reported accident, even when their car is not hit or damaged usually winds up with the accident on their CarFax. It's part of the joy of living in a Socialist state with $20,000/year in property taxes.

How do you estimate $1000? It's up to you or the cop. The law doesn't explain, just like the snowmobile thing. There's just a place to write the "estimated damage" on the state accident report form.

That's my take on it.

 

[Flexpedition]

Police report is one of many CarFax data sources. The caveat is from digitized police reports. Lots of small towns PD's still use filing cabinets for unscanned paperwork.

If you are really concerned about the Carfax induced phenomena of "potential loss of value", simply go to 2-3 body shops and put their $100 buffing/touch-up estimates in your owners manual for safe keeping. Make sure they put month/date/year on them. Print the above pictures at Walgreens and keep the dated sales receipt, put them in the same place. Ditto with the police report if you are so inclined.

Now you have all your ducks in a row come time for trade-in or resale and have to deal with one of those "but carfax says it was in a huge fiery inferno multicar pile-up" asshats.

 

[Plati]

.... Since CarFax pays the State of New York for its accident information, anyone involved in a reported accident, even when their car is not hit or damaged usually winds up with the accident on their CarFax. It's part of the joy of living in a Socialist state with $20,000/year in property taxes.....

Well, by that measure --- the entire US & Canada is a Socialist state.
So its kinda hard to pick on NYS for that one?

quote:
CARFAX® receives data from more than 100,000 different sources including every U.S. and Canadian provincial motor vehicle agency plus many police and fire departments, collision repair facilities, auto auctions, and more.

https://www.carfax.com/company/vhr-data-sources

 

[Don Hall]

What is the damage vs the deductible? Your answer should decide your action.

 

[coolzzy]

I have a $500 deductible so using the touch up paint I already have (since my focus and expy are the same Ford silver color) cost me zero. I'm just gonna keep quiet and touch in the paint this evening.