Does My Car Insurance Cover Scratches?
Written by
Ann Herro has been writing about insurance and employee benefits for over 15 years. She covers topics ranging from car insurance to healthcare costs.
Reviewed by
Paul Martin is the Director of Education and Development for Myron Steves, one of the largest, most respected insurance wholesalers in the southern U.S.
Navigation
When Does Car Insurance Cover Scratches to My Vehicle?
How Does Car Insurance Cover Scratches?
How Much of the Damage Will My Insurance Cover if My Vehicle Is Scratched?
If My Car Insurance Does Not Entirely Cover the Scratches, How Much Do I Have to Pay?
If Basic Car Insurance Does Not Cover Scratches, What Will?
Expert(s) Found on This Page
When Does Car Insurance Cover Scratches to My Vehicle?
I walked to my car this morning and noticed there was a big scratch on the driver's side passenger door. I want to get the scratch fixed, but I'm not sure if scratches are covered under my car insurance.
Your car insurance will cover scratches if the scratches are a result of vandalism or a collision, if you have optional comprehensive coverage or collision coverage. Let's say you go on vacation in the mountains, and you're driving your car along narrow roads lined with trees and bushes. After your drive, you realize your car has scratches on it from the trees. Your collision insurance would cover the scratches in this situation.
If your car is hit by a shopping cart in a parking lot, chances are your collision coverage would cover that, too. If your car is scratched by vandalism or hail, your comprehensive coverage would pay for the damages.
The thing to remember about using your insurance for scratches is that you always have to pay your deductible. So, while your insurance may cover the scratches, you'll always want to consider if the cost to fix the scratches significantly exceeds your deductible, making filing an insurance claim worth your while.
In most cases, making a claim for scratches isn't worth it. While getting a ding on your car door at the grocery store is annoying, it's usually not worth getting fixed. But if you decide you want to, your insurance may cover it.
And remember, if you only have liability coverage, which pays when you cause damage to someone else's car or injure someone, you won't have coverage for scratches. Again, you need comprehensive coverage included in your auto policy to cover this and many other scenarios in which your car can be damaged.
How Does Car Insurance Cover Scratches?
When you call your insurance company to make a claim about your vehicle being scratched, they'll investigate whether the scratch was your fault. Once the cause of the scratch is determined, if you're eligible to have your insurance cover the scratch, your insurance will open a claim. From there, you'll work with an approved body shop to get your scratches fixed, and your insurance will cover the expenses minus the deductible.
How Much of the Damage Will My Insurance Cover if My Vehicle Is Scratched?
Your insurance will cover all of the damage to your car after your deductible. Depending on your policy, your deductible can be anywhere from several hundred dollars to several thousand.
If the damage to your car is less than your deductible, the insurance company won't cover it. You may want to pay to fix the damage on your own or not get it fixed at all if the appearance doesn't matter to you.
If My Car Insurance Does Not Entirely Cover the Scratches, How Much Do I Have to Pay?
If your insurance company determines that the cause of the scratches on your car makes them eligible for coverage under your insurance, then they will cover the damage 100%, minus your deductible. Whenever you choose to file a claim, you always have to pay your deductible. Once your insurance company decides they're covering the damage, it will cover the remaining amount after your deductible.
If Basic Car Insurance Does Not Cover Scratches, What Will?
You already know that you need the right kind of coverage to cover scratches to your car. When building your car insurance policy, make sure you have the best coverage possible. Here are some ways to ensure you've got coverage for damage to your vehicle:
- Full coverage insurance: This means you have an insurance policy that includes all major types of coverage, including liability, comprehensive, collision, and other types of otherwise optional coverage.
- Comprehensive coverage: This optional coverage, often referred to as "other than collision" coverage, is insurance for physical damage to your car that did not result from a collision. This could mean hail damage, theft, or vandalism.
- Collision coverage: This optional coverage is insurance for when you collide with another object. Certain situations, like your car getting scraped by tree branches on a drive, would be covered under collision.
An independent insurance agent can make sure you get all the coverage you need.