Auto body insurance questions answered- Minor parking lot damage

  

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What to do about parking lot door damage?

Question: I was parked, and my door hit the car parked next to me because it was so windy. It did some damage to the other car. How does this work? Am I negligent? Would the damage to this other car go under my comprehensive or collision insurance, as I have deductibles for each one and want to know what to expect.

Answer: The good news is you don’t have to pay a deductible to get the other car fixed. Your collision and comprehensive cover your own vehicle for damages, not other cars that you damage. When you damage another person’s property, it is the property damage liability portion of your car insurance policy that will be used for their claims.

There is no deductible with this coverage for you or the damaged party to pay. It's very likely that your insurer will find you negligent and accept the other person’s claim for the damage your door did to their car.

The basic thought on this is while you didn’t slam open your door on purpose you still were negligent by not being able to control the door. This type of situation isn’t considered an act of God like some believe.

Will my rates go up?

Since this was a minor accident, the resulting claim may not affect your auto insurance rates. It will depend upon state laws and your insurer’s rating system, but, in some cases, your rates won’t be raised if the total damages are under a certain amount, such as $1,000. Or your rates may rise, especially if you’ve already made other claims recently.

If your car’s door was damaged in the incident, then you could make a claim under your collision coverage.  If your car's damage is due to your door colliding with something, the claim falls under this coverage and not your comprehensive coverage. You would have to pay your collision deductible would.

If you find that the cost of the repair is less than your deductible amount, there is no need to make a claim since your insurer won't cover costs under that amount. Need to fix some parking lo

How to file a parking-lot car insurance claim :

Most car insurance companies won't require a police report for a minor parking lot accident. Many times the police will tell you to exchange information on your own. But you can tell the insurance company that you did call, but that the police didn't respond. And if the cops do show up, you've got a police report that lays out the facts.

If police don't respond you should exchange names, contact information, license numbers and insurance companies and policy numbers. If there are witnesses, get their names and phone numbers as well.

Take pictures even if you believe you were at fault. You don't want to be asked to repair damage you didn't cause. If you hit an unoccupied car, most states require that you find the owner or leave a note so that he or she can contact you. Tell your own insurance company exactly what happened.

Your car insurance liability coverage--the coverage you're required to buy--will pay for the other driver's car if you're determined to be at fault. If another car hits yours but the driver fails to leave a note, your own collision coverage (assuming you carry it) would pay any auto insurance.

If another car hits yours and the other driver is at fault, his property damage liability coverage would repair your car. If the facts are in dispute, exchange information and tell your own insurer your side rather than hashing it out in a parking lot. Let the adjusters settle it.

If you need help getting out of a parking lot damage jam, you can count on O’Rielly Collision Centers in in Tucson AZ and Green Valley AZ to fix your damage!

Have some Auto Body and Car insurance related questions? Let us know in the comments section and we will post answers in out blog.