Owning a car comes with its own list of probabilities of problems, and some are inevitable like car accidents, or your vehicle gets scratched of vandalised when parked. You’ll likely want to have any scratches repaired. Don’t waste time taking care of the problem. If someone scratches your car then your probably raging right now and wondering what the next steps to take?
- Will your auto insurance cover the damages?
- How much will it cost?
- Will auto warranty take care of it?
- is it easy to fix?
Read on to get these answers and more.
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Step to Claim Car Insurance for Scratches
After your vehicle gets scratched either while being parked or as you were driving, it’s a matter of urgency to contact your insurance carrier to file a claim if you intend getting your vehicle fixed. But this will only happen if you have have a comprehensive insurance coverage plan. This category of insurance would cover any form of damages, even if a hit and run driver did the damage then you have a chance of getting it covered.
It’s not difficult to claim your insurance if you dully follow the procedure stated by your insurance company. Depending on your contract, your insurance should cover all the repair costs, and your expenses will be small initially, however, any insurance claim will increase your premiums going forward.
You must know that the insurance company will investigate to ascertain the actual cause of the scratch before doing anything further.
Contact the insurance company – It’s of utmost importance that you contact your insurer at point of this incident although they gave a maximum of three days. Head straight to their office if you can make it or you can reach to them through telephone.
Attach a photo showing the scratched part – If you want your claim to be processed swiftly, you must attach a picture of the scratched side to it. That’s not all; once there is no picture evidence, it will take a very long time unless you visit the insurance office yourself.
Fill out the claim form to complete your claim – A form will be provided by the insurer where you fill out your data together with the car data. This information must be correct. Narrate what happened properly. Please desist from making up any story.
Narrate the chronology of the events of the reported car scratch – You need to be detailed when answering the insurance questions to avoid confusing the insurer. Do not jump any.
Get other supporting documents ready – There are essential supporting documents you must present according to your insurer. To be on the safer side, ask your insurer the required documents to save yourself from going back and forth. These are simple processes you need to claim the insurance on your scratched cars.
Scratch incident that is taken care of by Collision Coverage.
In a situation where you received scratch as a result of vandals or hitting an object while driving, collision coverage comes to play. For instance, when you find yourself in a constricted squeeze like in a tight parking spot then there’s a high likelihood an accident can occur.
This means that in most cases, a scratch is just unavoidable. A deductible is involved in a collision-related scratch claim. But whether you’re going to pay or not will depend on the type of policy it covers you by your insurer, and who is at fault in the incident.
Below are examples of incidences that could be covered by your insurance policy.
- Scraping by an inanimate object, such as an electricity pole or even a mailbox.
- Your car is hit by another car’s door hitting your car in a parking lot
- Scratched that happen in a car wash.
- Sideswiping a different vehicle.
- Rubbing tree twigs while driving.
- Vandalised cases
Estimated Cost of Scratch Repairs
The next is to think about the cost of the repairs. Below are just the estimate of the cost you’ll likely spend during repairs.
Scratches – Depending on the type of car, any minor scratch cost between $300 to $1000. For major scratches that will involve more work, the repair estimate is between $1000 to $4000, but luxury cars range above $7000.
In Conclusion
Depending on your car insurance coverage together with how it happened, as we can see from the write-up, certain possible repairs could be taken care of by your insurer which is an effective alternative that will prevent you from paying for repairs yourself. Furthermore, if the fault of the incident is attributed to someone else, your deductible could be waived. The same thing is applicable if the person that caused the scratch is unknown to you. In other words, reporting incidences to your insurer is key to claiming insurance.
Table could not be displayed.FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the cost of fixing scratches on a car?
The estimates of fixing a scratch are generally between $150 and $300. Furthermore, the cost to repair a deep paint scratch can range from $300 to $900.
What to do when you hit a parked car, and the owner is not around?
You must leave a note for the owner on the car before driving off. This will let them know that you took responsibility for what happened. You can as well exchange contact together with insurance information.
Do I have the right to sue when someone hit my parked car?
In an incident that is not your fault, you’ll not be responsible for the repair bills. You can sue the driver that hit your packed car for damages instead. In a situation where you can’t locate who caused it, your insurer will likely take the responsibilities of an uninsured driver if your contract covers that.
What happens if you hit someone and they drive away?
It’s a criminal offence once you leave the scene of the incident. Some states do refer to it as a misdemeanour or even a felony which is punishable by jail time, fines, license points and much more. Once you leave the scene, the security agencies can use surveillance cameras to track your location, and you’ll be arrested.
Last update on 2024-12-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API