Does Car Insurance Cover Door Dings? A Surprise Answer

Does Car Insurance Cover Door Dings? At some point in everyone’s life, they come out of the store and find that someone has left a door ding on their car. No note, no one waiting, …

does insurance cover door dings

Does Car Insurance Cover Door Dings?

At some point in everyone’s life, they come out of the store and find that someone has left a door ding on their car. No note, no one waiting, just a ding on your car door. This can be very frustrating, especially for those who take very good care of their car, or have not had to file any accident report on their insurance. If that sounds like you, and you are even wondering “Does Car Insurance Cover Door Dings?” Well, the answer is simple.

As a general rule your insurance will pay for the repair costs if you have a collision policy. This is the case even if you do not have the information on the person who dinged your door. This is only a good idea if the collision policy has a deductible lower than the cost of the repair. However, if you do have the information on the person responsible, then their insurance will definitely cover the costs of repair.

Does Car Insurance Cover Door Dings

Insurance Coverage on Door Dings

So, let us go through a hypothetical. You come out of the grocery store, and when you get to your car, you see your driver’s side back door has a ding that was not there before. The car that would have most likely been responsible is parked awfully, giving you reasonable cause for suspicion.

You can either wait for them to come out, or you can go in and ask for the owner of the car to come to the front. Either way, you meet with the owner of the other car. You CALMLY and POLITELY get their insurance information.

From there, you will have to go through the process of filing a claim, giving information to your insurance agent, and all that fun stuff. But, your reward is not having to pay for the repairs yourself. The unfortunate part is, that is not always the case.

Let us take this back a few steps to when you hypothetically came out of the grocery and found the dings. The vehicle that would most likely be responsible, is no longer there. You have no information to give your insurance agent, besides that some unknown person dinged your car door and you want it fixed.

This is where having the collision policy comes into action. If you have this collision policy, you will not have to pay for the repairs, the insurance company will. But, the repairs would have to total a larger sum than your deductible. If they do not, you will have to pay for the repairs.

The only way you can get out of your deductible, aka getting it waived, is if you have the information of the person who caused the “collision.” If you do have the person’s information, and you both happen to have insurance from the same provider, then the deductible can possible be waived.

What should you do when you get a door ding?

When it comes to getting your car door repaired at the best monetary rate for you, there are a couple of things you could do. The first being, to get a quote on the repairs before making your insurance claim. This can help you answer questions given by your insurance agent, and can tell you if making a claim is really worth it or not.

In addition, look at alternative repair methods. In many cases, when someone gives your car a door ding, the dings are pretty small and minor. If that is the case, getting a quote from a dent repair shop can end up being much cheaper than a dealership or an auto body repair shop.

What do Insurance Agents Say about Door Dings?

Does Car Insurance Cover Door Dings

While it is great to have advice on what to do after a door ding occurs, how about advice on how to avoid them altogether? Well, we have some of those too! All you have to do is pick and choose which work best for you.

First off, we advise you to find an end spot or park a little way further back. The end spot is always the safest, as you only have to worry about one side of your vehicle. However, these are typically the first spots taken, or are only for handy-cap. If the end spots are not an option, parking further back can help, as most people do not want to walk far. However, there is always that person who likes to park by vehicles who clearly do not want others around them.

Another type is to observe all possible vehicles that could be parked next to you. The key things to look for are the lengths of the doors, and the overall height of the vehicle. The door length means that you would need more space between your car and the other, otherwise giving you a safety cushion. The height of a vehicle means the doors are higher, which could be too tall for door moldings to give protection.

Lastly, briefly look at the other vehicle to see if there are passengers, especially kids. This can be hard if there is not anyone in the vehicle. But, you can look for signs, such as car seats, multiple cups, or personal items. While it is possible the owner is just a bit messy, this advice airs more on the side of caution. More occupants mean more possible dangers for door dings. And means both sides may be used, instead of one.

And a non-person causing door ding advise, is for weather. If there is a chance of heavy rain, hail, or freezing rain, try to park under coverage. Mother nature does not have insurance, so yours will be the only coverage present. A small tree can do wonders for protection, and is light enough that if any branches (or twigs) break off, no damage should be done.

Door Dings Insurance Coverage Questions for an Agent

If you have any more questions related to “Does Car Insurance Cover Door Dings?”, contacting your car insurance agent will go a long way. Or, if you are looking for car insurance, an agent will be your best friend. They know all the ins and outs to insurance coverage and what tips and tricks you could use to get the most bang for your buck. Such as insurance coverage for a massage!

This article was sponsored by Chris Lile, State Farm Agent in Tulsa, Oklahoma.