It is a story that people have heard more often than they would like to. A friend of theirs accidentally bumped into their partner's car when they were on their way to work. If a vehicle you own is in an accident with another vehicle that you own, you may be curious about whether you can make a claim with your automobile insurance provider. By contacting your auto insurance company, they can let you know what options you have to determine the most cost-efficient way to deal with the damages. While you can file a claim with your automobile insurance provider in these situations, it might not always be the best way to take care of the accident.
If you hit your own vehicle, you have a few different options available for repairs. Depending on the type of car insurance policy you have, you may have coverage to help you with these expenses. Keep in mind, however, that many variables affect the person's car insurance rates. In addition to things like age, credit score, and driving history, there are many reasons a person’s car insurance can go up or down. The number of claims a person has on their record is one thing that can affect rates.
If you damage your own vehicle, you are likely to be able to file a claim. It will depend on the specific situation, as well as what your insurance policy includes, however. If the vehicle you are driving was damaged, a collision insurance policy will cover the cost. Comprehensive insurance coverage does not cover collision damage. If your policy also includes no-fault coverage, your plan could cover the cost of damages no matter who was at fault in the situation. Other types of insurance coverage might not help you in the situation.
If you hit a car in your own driveway, the situation can get complex. Since there two cars that might need coverage to kick in, you’ll first need to determine whether both of them are covered. If you have collision insurance on both cars, they will both be repaired for collision accidents regardless of who is at fault. You may, however, be paying two deductibles to get these repairs done. Talking with a claims adjuster is the best way to figure out how to do this efficiently.
If one vehicle is considered the at-fault vehicle, which is true in most cases, you should only have to pay one surcharge. If the accident caused injuries, further complexity comes into play. Talk with your insurance company about your options, and make sure to determine whether or not paying for some of the damages out-of-pocket could save you money in the long run through lower overall insurance premiums.
If the damage is enough that filing a claim makes sense, both cars could be covered depending on the type of insurance policy you have purchased. Collision insurance coverage covers damage due to crashes, regardless of who is at fault. Since one vehicle could be deemed to be at fault in the situation, you may only need to pay one deductible in some cases. If the costs of repairing damages are less than the amount your insurance rates would go up over the long term, it may make sense to pay out-of-pocket for some of the damages incurred.
Your automobile insurance plan will cover damage from mailboxes and other types of poles in some cases. If you hit a non-vehicle object, collision insurance will not provide coverage. Non-collision accidents could be covered by a comprehensive insurance policy in some cases. Even though you might be covered by this type of insurance policy, depending on the amount of damage that has occurred, it might not make sense to file a claim. Sometimes paying out-of-pocket to avoid increases in your insurance rates will save you more money over the long run. After you determine if calling your insurance provider will save you more money over time, you can decide whether to file a claim or pay out-of-pocket. If you find that your insurance rates are going up because of claims that you have filed, you can use the tools at State Insurance to compare auto insurance rates and find the best prices available for your new situation. Save money today at State Insurance.
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