As insurance ratings are negatively affected by claims, some people choose to pay out of pocket.
Since making a claim has a negative effect on people's insurance rating, some people choose to pay out of pocket for minor repairs.
kyokoさん、こんばんは。
確かにそうですよね。修理代が高くなければ、自費の方がお得かも知れません。
"As insurance ratings are negatively affected by claims" は文字通りですと「保険金請求をしますと(保険を使いますと)保険の等級に負の影響がある」になります。
"Since making a claim has a negative effect on people's insurance rating" は意味が全く同じで、違う言い方だけになります。
「自費で払う」はこの文脈で、英語で "pay out of pocket" が相当する表現となります。
文字通りに翻訳しますと 「ポケットから払う」になります。
ご参考になれば幸いです。
If you choose to use your insurance, your premiums will go up when you renew your policy so some people would rather pay the damage to the vehicle themselves.
If you make a claim on your insurance, your rating will go down, which causes your premiums to go up so there are people who choose to settle privately.