Is it worth filing a car insurance claim for a dented door?

Should you file an insurance claim for a dented door? That will depend on your car insurance company. Most dings and dents on a vehicle have minimum costs with the average being between $50 to $500.

Not to mention that unless you have a different party at fault, you might be stuck with the bill. If you claim the dent on your car with your auto insurance company, you will have a claim on your driving record.

While some car insurance companies have an accident forgiveness clause built right into your policy, some do not, so filing a door ding insurance claim comes with some risk.

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Instead of filing an insurance claim for a dented door should I fix it myself?

If it’s just a dent and no severe damage was done, it’s probably a better idea to take it in either to be fixed or to fix it yourself.

If you don’t have the handyman skills, then it may be a better idea just to take your car into an auto body shop and pay out-of-pocket for the removal of the dent.

The costs for a one-inch dent is typically between $25-100 and a three-inch cut around $250 to $500 which is still less than your car insurance deductible.

Many do not raise rates when it comes to claiming simple repairs. In most cases, you’ll have to cover the cost out-of-pocket anyway because fixing a dent costs less than what your deductible is.

How can I avoid having to file a car dent insurance claim?

While some people handle dents and dings in their cars fine, others cannot stand the sight of them. There are ways to avoid getting any or getting as few as possible.

When running errands, or parking your car, try to park in an area where there is little traffic and try not to park next to anyone. While this may be difficult to do, it’s a better alternative than getting a dent and having to look at it every day.

Opening your door carefully and giving yourself enough room to do so when parking is essential. You don’t want to dent someone else’s car and yours at the same time.

Gravel road and roads covered with rocks are trouble when it comes to dents on vehicles. Not only is there a potential for dents and dings, but sometimes stones and gravel can chip paint and cause scratches as well.

How do I file an insurance claim for a dented door?

First thing, you should call your car insurance agent after you’ve discovered the damage. Even if you’re not in your home state, you still need to find the company information and contact them.

Take pictures of the damage before you leave the area where the accident or dent occurred. Also, find out what paperwork is required and send your insurance agent copies of the paperwork as soon as you fill it out.

When an appraiser comes to check out the damage make sure your car is cleaned. This way the appraiser can give accurate information on the amount of damage done.

Make sure you keep in contact with your car insurance company throughout the whole process of filing a door ding insurance claim. It’s easy to miss a piece of required paperwork or for your paperwork to get lost in the transition.

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