The other day I was parked in front of a store when I felt something hit my door. The car next to me had hit my door when the owner opened his car door. When I got out to look I noticed a small ding. It’s very small. I tried cleaning it off but a small spot remains in the paint. The owner said it can be polished so I asked him for his contact info to arrange for him to fix it and then said he didn’t hit my door and drove away. Beforehand, I got a video opening his door and it shows his door’s edge touch directly where the ding is, then I back up to show his license plate.
Although I was hesitant for the insignificance of the damage, I called the police. Initially the officer tried to wipe it off himself, but then said that it should come off with products from Walmart. He could be right, but I find it unfair that I have to take the time, money and do the job of trying to fix what he damaged. It’s also possible that it doesn’t come off. He wouldn’t provide the owner’s contact info or insurance info.
Now thinking about it, even if I get his insurance, is it really worth going through insurance? Would it leave an accident report on my car’s history and depreciate in value? Should I just use insurance to persuade the owner to be responsible himself, so telling him that his rate may increase? (Assuming I can somehow get his contact info)
Should I go through insurance for a small ding?
byu/Rod404al inInsurance
Posted by Rod404al
2 Comments
This sub (and the real world) are filled with stories about people getting increases or being dropped for claims no matter the size of them.
That ding will probably cost you $1000 nowadays to buff out at an company approved shop and you have to pay part of it as deductible. It will be marked as a claim on your file, so you lose any “claim-free” discounts. And does it affect your rates later will “depends”.
Now you can pursue the other party, but you’ll have to track him down, make him report it to his insurance company or settle out of pocket.
OR just accept a door ding (or two or three) as being a part of car ownership. IMO after #2, it doesn’t matter anymore.