my girlfriend works in insurance in the gta and deals with claims specifically. you are correct - you would have to pay your deductible that you arranged when setting up your policy. you mentioned that it was 1000 dollars. since the damage is just over 5,000 dollars to repair and you aren't planning on buying a new car it makes sense to pay the deductible. make sure that your policy includes a first at fault free accident because not everyone qualifies for this. this would have been negotiated in your policy before signing. and you are correct, if you do get in an accident after this "free" on - your rates will increase significantly until the cost of repairs have been paid for. also - you aren't guaranteed a rental car from the insurance company. this would also be negotiated in your policy before signing. did you use an insurance broker when finding insurance? the reason i ask is because my family has had the same insurance BROKER for over 30 years. i now use him. if i ever have a claim or any problems I NEVER DEAL WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY. insurance companies have zero intention of paying you money. that's why insurance is full of loop holes. my broker has the knowledge to tell them what they need to hear and he deals with them directly on my behalf. if you have a broker i would suggest speaking to him or her and they possibly may have some answers or solutions to your problem. im sorry this happened to you - super frustrating. i've totally been there before.