Generally I recommend sewing with a foot for a couple of reasons. Including making it harder to hit your fingers.
The odds are that you are moving the fabric to fast for the speed you are going. If you watch you machine when you sew it sort of pauses when the needle is going in and out of the fabric. The fabric moves while the needle is in the up position. The force of the fabric will pull the needle. Ifat the right time it will bend it enough to hit the plate. And or it can bend it. Either way. Bent or broken it won't work.check your plate. The odds are you will have marks on it.
Solution, go faster with the machine and go slower with the fabric.