Five Things To Know About Car Damages In The Parking Lot
You've parked your car at the grocery store only to return and find that your car has suffered some damage. This happens all the time from people either hitting your car with their car, sideswiping, or slamming a shopping cart against it. Either way, here are five things you should know should this situation happen to you:
- Collision Coverage Will Cover It: First off, you should know that if you have collision coverage, you can receive coverage for the damages done by a shopping cart or other unknown force. Chances are, you won't know what actually caused the damage, but collision coverage will still be able to compensate for the damage done.
- Not Always Worth It: With the above being said, it's still not always worth it to file a claim through your collision coverage, especially if the damage is minor. Chances are, the damage that was done by a shopping cart or a car door hitting your car is affordable enough that you will be paying out of pocket anyway since the deductible won't even be covered fully before car insurance kicks in. This allows you to save your collision cover for something more serious.
- You Might Save Money by Paying for the Repairs Yourself: In the end, paying for the minor damage that has been done yourself can actually save you money in the end. This makes sense because when you file a claim for a situation like this, your insurance rates are bound to go up. Even though you weren't at fault for the situation, since no one can be blamed, it's still a hit on you. You are seen as a liability to your insurance company because you put your vehicle in a situation where damages like this could happen.
- The Business is Not Responsible: Keep in mind that your claim is not against the business where you parked. The reason is that most states do not allow this to be the case. It's not worth it to attempt to file a lawsuit against the business, especially since it was probably a customer that caused the damage, not the business.
- Park Safe: Finally, you should be sure that you park safely while in a large parking lot. Don't park too closely to another vehicle, park correctly without taking up space in another parking stall, and consider parking towards the back where not that many people are parking and leaving their shopping carts.
With these five things in mind, you can be sure that you know how to handle a situation in which your car has been damaged in a parking lot without causing problems for yourself in the future. Contact an auto insurance service for more information.