Does your vehicle have paint damage? The paint on a vehicle can easily chip or suffer other damage if you are in an accident or a storm. If you have a new vehicle that you do not want to see damage to, you may wish to turn to your auto insurance company for help. In some cases, your car insurance policy can cover your paint damage. However, this is not always the ideal situation. Before you file a claim, consider a few helpful tips.
What Caused the Damage Matters First
To determine if you have coverage for paint damage, consider what caused it. Here are a few examples.
- You collided with the side of the garage backing out of it. You have collision insurance, which can cover the losses here.
- You were in an accident with another person. That person was responsible but didn’t have insurance. Your underinsured or uninsured policy may help.
- Your car suffered significant damage from a hail storm. If you have comprehensive auto insurance, that works to cover your losses.
The key factor to remember here is that your local Bakersfield auto insurance agent can answer your questions and provide you with more insight into whether you can file a claim.
If you do not have these types of car insurance, it may be time to consider adding them to your policy. Your agent can help you to choose policies that cover damage and risks like these.
When Should You File, Though?
It is also important to consider whether filing an auto insurance claim is beneficial to you. The key concern is that this type of paint damage may be insignificant. If it is a few scratches or dents, the insurance agent will advise you to obtain a quote. If the quote for the repairs is small, it may not be enough to meet your insurance policy’s deductible. That would mean the policy does not cover your losses. Instead, you pay out-of-pocket for them.
If the damage to your car is significant, such as a long scratch or damage to multiple layers of paint, then filing a claim may be wise. Work with your agent to secure quotes for this type of repair. Then, determine if filing an auto insurance claim is beneficial to you. Keeping your costs in mind, work with your agent to file the claim and get the repairs taken care of right away.