Car insurance acts as a safeguard for your financial well-being and your car in case of natural disasters, theft, and accident damages. Additionally, car insurance protects you financially if you are liable for someone else’s injury or property damage. However, car insurance will not cover the regular maintenance and repairs as a result of wear and tear. That said, here are common car repairs your insurance will cover.
Broken Windshields and Windows
Your car insurance will cover broken windshield and windows repairs but not in all instances. First, you need to understand the liability coverage, comprehensive insurance policy, and collision insurance. The comprehensive insurance will cover your broken windshield and windows unless they are damaged through a collision.
Normally, this insurance policy covers damages caused by natural disasters. For instance, if a tree falls along the road and damages your windshield and windows, your car’s comprehensive insurance will cover the repair costs. Also, if a rock flies from the front vehicle tires and breaks your windshield or the windows, comprehensive insurance will cover the auto repair costs.
Another instance is the act of vandalism, where you come across people on demonstrations and break your car windows. Someone may also come across and smash your windshield with a brick. An animal can also crash into your windscreen or the windows, causing them to break. A storm can also damage your windshield, especially when hailstones fall.
There are some instances in which other people’s insurance coverage can pay for your windshield or the windows repairs. For example, if you are involved in an accident, and the other driver was at fault, their liability coverage will pay your glass repair costs. If you are at fault in a collision, your collision coverage can pay for your automotive repairs, including glass replacement.
Slashed Tires
Comprehensive insurance coverage will cover your car tire replacement costs when they get slashed except from collisions. As such, if road debris or sharp objects slash your car tires, comprehensive insurance will cover the replacement costs. On the other hand, if someone slashes your car tires with ill intent, that’s considered vandalism. Comprehensive insurance will cover the repair or replacement cost.
Collision insurance also covers car repair costs in the event of a collision. For example, if your car tires get slashed as a result of a collision, your collision coverage will cater to the repair or replacement costs. Another instance in which collision coverage can repair your tires is when you run over a pothole, and your tires get slashed. Additionally, it can cover tire damages if you run over road spikes without the intention to escape as a result of hit-and-run or other road offenses.
Finally, if you are involved in an accident due to another driver’s fault, their liability insurance will cover your slashed tire replacement cost. Other instances are when your home remodeling contractor slashes the tires. Their liability insurance can cover your tire replacement costs.
Storm Damage
Storms can damage your car in several ways, and the first one is hail damage to the exterior. Hailstones fall and break the windshield or the windows. In some cases, large hailstones can break the car lights or damage the paint job. Paint chips out when the car surface is hit by hailstones, exposing the inner car body to rusting.
The second way storms can damage a car is through flooding as a result of heavy rainfall. According to Brittanica, an average thunderstorm produces around 2000 metric tons of rain; larger storms can produce 10 times more rain. Once the flooding water gets inside the car, it damages the upholstery and the wiring. Flooding water also damages the car engine.
Storms come with wind-driven debris which can damage the car glass and the paint. According to the National Weather Service, hurricane winds can move at 75 miles per hour. Once the debris hits the car, it breaks the windshield or the windows. Additionally, small sand granules consistently hit the body, causing scratches on the paint job.
Lastly, falling trees and objects as a result of a tornado can damage the car. A tornado is violently rotating air thunderstorm down to the ground. Tornados are capable of uprooting trees and destroying buildings. Although they are highly reported in the Central Plains and southeastern US, they can occur in any state.
Comprehensive car insurance covers damage to your vehicle from events you cannot control. As such, the policy will cover any damage caused by the storm. However, ensure you take preventative measures for your car safety because some claims can be denied by the insurer. For instance, if a rotting tree falls on your car during a storm, your claim can be denied.
You can file hail damage claims by calling your insurance and documenting the damage with photo evidence. Secondly, you are required to obtain estimates from the local auto hail repair facility. The insurer may ask you for more than one estimate to compare which offers a quality job at a low cost.
However, you can choose your own auto hail repairs shop, but if they don’t have low estimates, you will be responsible for paying the difference. The benefit of allowing the insurance company to take control of the repairs is that they will ensure the same years and manufacturing design of spares are installed in the car. If you need aftermarket modification, you can do it afterward.
Car Accident Damage
If you are involved in an accident as a result of another driver’s fault, you can claim against their liability insurance. This is known as a third-party claim because you are a third party to the other driver’s insurance. The insurance may take time because they may need to investigate the matter and conclude their client was truly at fault. Mostly, they rely on police reports as well as their own investigation.
In such situations, you may want to repair your car and later get paid for the cost incurred. Wait for the police investigations and agree with the insurance about the payment terms. You may have to provide the repair receipts to prove the car was repaired as per the claim and afterward get the pay cheque. If the auto transmission was damaged, you may have to provide the new transmission receipt and the installation charges.
Another way to have your car repaired after an accident is to file a claim with your collision insurance. The collision insurance policy covers the damages caused by other people. For instance, if you were involved in a collision with an uninsured person and your transmission was damaged, the insurance will cover the costs. However, the payment cheque for the auto transmission repair will be reduced by the collision deductible amount.
You can get the deductible amount later if the insurer gets reimbursement from the other driver’s insurance company. What if your passengers were injured and the driver at fault lacks enough insurance? You can find an auto accident lawyer to sue them for the remainder to cover the bills with their assets. But if they don’t have assets, you can go to your underinsured motorist coverage if you have one.
In some states, they apply the no-fault insurance law. With this law, you make injury claims to your insurance. You can only use auto accident lawyers to sue the other drivers in case of serious injuries or death. But for the car damage, they always recommend using the driver’s liability insurance to repair it.
Damage From Hitting a Deer
Damage caused by events you cannot control, like hitting a deer, is covered by comprehensive insurance. Normally, the insurance company considers when the animal also runs into your car. For instance, a deer crossing the road can hit your car glass or the headlights while parked at the roadside. That’s an event you cannot control.
In other instances, an animal like a rat can burrow into the car engine and chew the wires. This is also an event you cannot control, and comprehensive insurance will cover the repair costs. Note collision insurance cannot cover the auto body shop repair charges if you hit a deer. Collision insurance covers damages caused by colliding with another car or hitting objects.
If you swerve to avoid hitting the deer and accidentally hit another car or an object, collision insurance will cover the repair costs. The comprehensive insurance will not be responsible if you never hit the deer. What would you do to make your claim acceptable by the insurance if you hit a deer?
Step 1: Move your vehicle to the roadside, away from the animal. Turn on the vehicle hazard.
Step 2: Call the police to let them know the animal is blocking the road. If the animal stays on the road for an extended period, it can pose a danger to other road users.
Step 3: Stay away from the deer because it can get frustrated and harm people once hit.
Step 4: Document the accident by giving the police the correct information and taking photos of the scene.
Following the above steps will help you prove your innocence. Once the police have prepared a report, you can use the report and the photo evidence to file a claim to your insurance. But ensure the car is safe to drive before leaving the scene. Else, call towing services.
Paint Damage From Bird Droppings
Birds love to stay around vehicles because of reflective mirrors. So, if you leave your side mirrors unfolded when parking the car, you’ll see birds flying around. Once birds see their images in the mirror, they think they have seen other birds. Unfortunately, if they stay around, they will poop on the car’s paint.
Bird dropping contains uric acid, which easily causes the car paint job to fade. Especially during the hot summers, the paint expands when exposed to the sun, allowing the uric acid from bird’s poop to find its way inside. Afterward, the inner parts start corroding, and the sparkling car’s beauty is lost. Additionally, birds can scratch the paint with their feet.
Thankfully, comprehensive insurance can cover such damages. You only need to prove that the event happened at a time you couldn’t control. For instance, you are required to have a garage at home. If you don’t have a garage, invest in a car cover or a car shed. Some car sheds are not completely covered the same case with some garages.
Ideally, confirm whether your insurer can cover such damages before purchasing their policy. The only disadvantage of bird-related damages is that they are minor, and the insurance pay may be low. In some situations, you may not get paid because the deductibles may exceed the damage worth. For instance, if birds have caused damage worth $100 and the deductible is $300, you will not receive anything from the insurer.
Break In Damages
In case burglars break into your car and steal some items, you may get paid by your comprehensive insurance. Thieves normally damage the door locks or break the car windows to access the interior. If your car was in public parking, you would get paid for the damaged locks or the windows. However, any item stolen from the vehicle cannot be covered by comprehensive or liability insurance.
Liability insurance pays for damages and injuries caused as a result of accidents. But your items can be covered by the homeowner’s insurance even if they were stolen while the car was away from your property. Alternatively, if you travel in the car with your laptop or smartphone, you can go for burglary or theft insurance.
When parking your car in public, it’s advisable to find a well-lit area for safety. Avoid parking your car between tall trucks or SUVs because burglars can hide between the vehicles and break into your car unnoticed. Ensure the doors are locked, and the windows are tinted. Burglars fear breaking into tinted cars because they aren’t sure if the owner is inside.
Having car insurance safeguards your financial well-being and your car in case of damages. Additionally, it protects other drivers in case you crash their cars or cause injuries. Ideally, have comprehensive, driver’s liability, and collision insurance to cover all the car damages and get protection for injury claims. For personal belongings, go for theft and homeowner’s insurance policy.