You are driving on a road and your car gets scratched while bypassing some other vehicle. At that time of strain, the questions that arise in the mind of a person are; how am I going to get it fixed? Will my Insurance pay for the paint damage caused due to scratch? So, here are the answers to your questions:
Yes, your car Insurance will cover the expenses of paint damage in case of scratch.
But there are some things you need to know about Insurance before making a claim:
How can scratches occur in your car?
Scratches can occur due to many reasons. Different factors can be the cause of scratches and are responsible for it. Some of them are going to be shared under:
- Scratches can occur if your vehicle gets struck by some other thing. These things can include any other vehicle, a tree, a pole, a bench, a shopping trolley, and many more.
- The other factor that can cause scratches to your vehicle is natural disasters. Your car can face an accident as a result of any natural calamity like an earthquake, flood, etc. These accidents can cause damage to the paint of your car along with scratches.
- Vandalism is another reason. Someone can intentionally cause harm to your vehicle to disturb you.
These kinds of events are the grounds for the devastation of a car’s look as they wreck the paint of the car.
When does car insurance cover scratches?
Car insurance can cover scratches and paint impairment only in the case of having your car insured. Now it is the need to know about the types of insurance that can tackle your problem if you get stuck in such circumstances:
Collision Coverage:
Generally, collision coverage is the insurance type that covers if your car collides with anything and gets damaged. It can also involve the citation of an accident in which a car can collide with your car. It can also happen in other scenarios that can be like if your car is being parked or is standing at a certain place and some other vehicle or thing smashes with it. In such a scene, collision coverage is responsible for covering the damage that has occurred to your vehicle and this coverage includes paint abrasion and scratches. Furthermore, this coverage is not impacted by the fact that whether you were at fault or not.
Comprehensive coverage:
Comprehensive coverage is a type of insurance that involves the disfiguring caused to your car as a result of some calamity. It is also an auto insurance that covers all the impairments that have occurred to your vehicle but not due to collision. This can be explained in such a way that if a big branch of a tree falls on your car while it is being placed at some place that has trees. Likewise, if your car is being parked in parking and some other car comes to park there and during their parking, they cause damage to the paint of your car as a form of scratches. Then, comprehensive coverage will pay for the compensation of this loss.
What if I scratch someone else’s car?
If you are involved in a situation where you have scratched someone else’s car. At that time your Insurance has to pay for the paint and scratch damage caused to that person’s car. These insurances are the above-mentioned that can help you in this case.
Are There Limitations I Need to Know About?
Car insurance covers the paint damage that occurred due to a scratch in most cases, but there are also some restrictions in some cases. In these cases, you cannot claim insurance. These cases are discussed below:
- When you damage your car paint deliberately, you were in a situation where you hit your car knowingly and it resulted in the form of damage to the paint. Then you cannot ask for the compensation.
- When you claim too late for the insurance. It is preferred to contact your insurer as soon as possible after getting any damage to your vehicle. Otherwise, you may have to face many difficulties.
- If you breach any of the policies of the car insurance company. Then, your car insurer is not going to pay you the loss.
- If the damage to the paint is caused due to your negligence and careless behavior. Your insurance company is not going to provide you with the money to cover the paint damage.
- Your insurance does not cover the damage caused to the paints if it is generally caused over time.
- Lastly, you cannot claim insurance if you don’t have collision or comprehensive coverage that pays for these types of damages.
Conclusion:
Car insurance can pay for the scratches or paint deterioration that have been caused because of the collision of the car or because of some other mishaps that include natural misfortunes. But as there are limitations to everything, it also has some limitations that you need to keep in your mind when you need to claim insurance. Most probably two types of insurance pay for this type of loss. Have the advantage of this insurance when needed.
FAQs
What are the charges to fix scratches on a car?
Scratches on the car aren’t as simple as they seem to be. The cost to fix a scratch can vary from car to car. It depends on the car. How much expensive is the car? It also depends on the scratch; the number of scratches, how much area they cover, and also the deepness of the scratch. Deductibles can be more in cost than the cost of Insurance. So it is recommended to pay the cost of fixing the disfigurement with your own money.
Will auto insurance cover paint damage?
Yes, auto insurance can cover the damage caused by the paint of the car. Collision and comprehensive coverage can provide payment for this loss. Sometimes, the amount of the deductibles is more than the cost of the coverage for the repair of the scratches to your car. In that case, it should be preferable for you to pay for the repair of the car from your own earning.
What to do if an uninsured driver damages my car’s paint?
It is unfortunate of you to get your car damaged by an uninsured driver as they cannot pay you for the destruction that occurred to your car. In such a possibility, you should have your own collision coverage and comprehensive coverage so that they can pay you for the expense of the renewal.