That sucks. I had something similar happen to me, someone was coming round a corner near where I live and cut it way too close to my car, left a lovely gouge in the side of it. Was absolutely devastated. Thankfully, she owned up and we settled privately. Claiming on your insurance for that is probably going to cost more in the long run than settling it up yourself. I'd recommend getting some quotes and seeing what it would set you back, then use that to help you make your decision.
If the damage is significant enough for it to be more than a couple of hundred quid, then perhaps I'm wrong about claiming.