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Pay For it or File Insurance Claim?

Written by Michele Wilmonen. Posted in Ask An Insurance Question Last Updated: 11/14/2015

Your deductible and personal threshold for an insurance claim.

Q: I was parked and I reversed and a car passed, then I made my way out and a car moved forward as I was turning out and I beeped the horn and everything was fine. I did not feel myself hit the car and the passengers didn’t either. I get a call an hour later from a friend(I found out I knew the person) saying I scratched their car, but my main concern was that it would look like it because I was hit in the front years prior, and that scratch would look like I scratched her car. So I met her up and she had a minor scratch on the side of her car and it was white, so I’m pretty sure it was me. I am unsure if I should go through insurance because I’m not sure if they would make my dad pay a deductible and if his rates would go up, or if I should just go the paint job way and pay out of pocket?

A: Okay there are actually two questions here, so let’s address each one separately.

1st: The only time you pay the deductible listed on your car insurance policy is when your insurance company is paying for the damage to your own vehicle. There is no deductible you have to pay if your insurance company pays for the damage to another person’s vehicle.

2nd: Never commit to paying for another person’s damage out of your pocket. Have them get a quote for how much it will cost to repair the scratch and then sit down with your dad and decide whether or not to file an insurance claim or not.

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Michele Wilmonen

Michele's first introduction to insurance was working for a major insurance company as a file clerk and a mailroom supervisor in a regional office. She learned insurance directly from underwriters and claims adjusters from questions and also watching them do their job. Since then, she's earned a number of insurance certifications from the Insurance Institute of America and also a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho. She blogs at Car Insurance Guidebook.

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