Colliding with an object in the road can happen to even the most vigilant driver. If it recently happened to you and the resulting vehicle damage is significant, you’re probably wondering how your insurance coverage works in this type of situation. While most insurance policies cover auto body repair caused by accidents involving road debris, the extent of your coverage really depends on your situation.
Take a look below at what you need to know about insurance coverage and paying for auto body repairs when you hit an object in the road.
What Type of Insurance Coverage Do You Need to Have?
If all you have is liability insurance, that won’t provide coverage for auto body repairs when you hit something in the road. If you want your insurance to help cover the cost of collision repairs in this type of situation, you’ll have to add comprehensive coverage and collision coverage to your policy.
But don’t think you can just add it on after the fact and then file. That’ll get your claim denied in a hurry. If you recently hit an object or got hit by an object in the road and you currently only have liability coverage, you’ll have to pay for the repairs out of pocket this time. Consider it a lesson learned.
What to Do When You Hit Something Lying in the Road
When you hit an object on the roadway, the impact can cause potentially serious damage to the body or undercarriage of your vehicle. It doesn’t matter whether the object is a tree branch, a piece of debris from another vehicle, or even a pothole — any time you hit something while driving, you’ll have to file a collision claim. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
● Provide the necessary information about the accident and vehicle damage to your insurer within the filing time limit. If you don’t know what your timeframe for filing is, call your insurer and ask.
● Get repair estimates from at least three auto body repair shops. Your insurer may recommend a specific shop, but it’s up to you which shop you ultimately select.
● Submit the estimates to your insurer, and they’ll determine how much they’ll pay toward your auto body repairs.
● Get your vehicle repaired.
Before you file, it’s important to understand that you’ll need to pay your deductible before your insurance coverage will kick in. And since you hit the object — even though it wasn’t your fault it was there in the first place — your insurer will consider it an at-fault claim.
Filing this type of claim can cause your insurance rates to increase, but if there’s considerable damage, don’t let that scare you away from filing. Unless the damage is really minor (or your deductible is astronomical and it doesn’t make sense to get your insurance involved), filing is likely in your best interest.
What Happens When Your Vehicle Gets Hit By a Flying Object?
If something flies off another vehicle and your vehicle collides with that object while it’s mid-air, that falls under your comprehensive coverage. The same idea applies to rocks that fly up and damage your windshield or the body of your vehicle.
Since flying debris is considered unavoidable, you won’t be considered at fault when you file your insurance claim. However, you’ll still need to pay your deductible before your coverage kicks in. Follow the same process for filing as you would for a collision claim.
If you need help filing your claim — whether it’s collision or comprehensive — it’s in your best interest to work with an auto body repair shop that can assist you and help you get the coverage you deserve.
Need Auto Body Repairs Near Plymouth, MN? Contact Minnetonka Collision
If you recently hit something in the road and accidentally damaged your vehicle, bring your car or truck to our team at Minnetonka Collision Center so we can help you out! We provide premium-quality auto body repairs for vehicle owners throughout Plymouth and the surrounding areas. Our knowledgeable team can help you with your insurance claim from start to finish, and we also offer several concierge services to make your experience with us as convenient as possible.
To get started, give us a call today at 763-230-7805 or request a free estimate online, and we’ll be in touch promptly.
