Should I use insurance for my repair?
After a car accident, questions about your insurnace may come up that you have not thought about. This article will explain how car insurance pays out for accidents and when is the best time to use it.
If the other party is at fault then their insurance will pay out the following:
- Damage to your car – only to their insurance liability limits.
- Your medical bills – up to their limits on bodily injury liability coverage.
If the other party doesn’t have insurance or doesn’t have enough coverage to pay the entirety of your bills, your own insurance policy’s uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage would pay out.
If you are at fault depending on your insurance they will pay out the following:
- The other party’s medical bills – this will cover the other driver and their passengers.
- Damage to both cars – your car and the other party’s car. Your car pay limit is only up to market value. Remember, insurance will start paying for your car repair after you pass your deductible. The other party’s car limit is up to your insurance liability limits.
- Your medical exenses – this will cover only your medical bills up to your limit or pip coverage. This does not cover your passengers, you will need to work with your health insurance for any additional coverage you need and for your passengers.
- Car rental – depending on your car insurance they may cover rental for the other party and yourself.
Auto Insurance Examples
Now knowing how insurance pays let’s see some examples of when you should have your insurance help with your car repair.
Minor repair – Let’s say Dave accidentally tapped a light pole which caused a minor dent in his bumper. He went to Winners Circle Collision where they assessed the repair to be less than $1,000. If Dave’s insurance deductible is $1,000 then insurance will not pay out for this repair. Dave would not file a claim with his insurance and pay out of pocket.
Fender Bender repair – So Dave is in another accident where he is at fault and his fender is majorly damaged. He went to Winners Circle Collision where they assessed the repair around $3,000. If Dave’s insurance deductible is still $1,000 then insurance will pay out $2,000. Dave would file a claim with his insurance and have help paying for his quality repair.
We hope this article helps. We understand trying to get your car repaired can be frustrating. We are experts in quality auto repair and can help you at any time. Give us a call or stop by your neighborhood Winner Circle and we will take care of the rest.