How Auto Insurance Plans Cover Cracked Windshields And Windows
The spinning wheels of a pickup truck on the highway kicked up a spray of gravel, sending it across your windshield, causing ugly cracks. The other car vanished before you recovered your senses and thought about writing down their plate number. You are at a loss as to what to do. It is not safe to drive with a cracked windshield, and they are expensive to replace. Will auto insurance plans cover cracked windshields and windows?
Fortunately, you are in luck as most auto insurance plans with Comprehensive coverage will repair or replace damaged windshields and windows. Comprehensive insurance is voluntary, which means that you must choose to have it on your auto insurance plan. In simple terms, Comprehensive insurance protects your vehicle from damage that is not caused by a collision. This may include: theft, vandalism, animals, inclement weather, fire, and glass damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your vehicle over the deductible amount, which is the financial responsibility of the insured. The policyholder chooses their deductible at the time the coverage is added to the policy. A higher deductible usually means that premiums will be lower. The customer should only choose a deductible amount which they can afford to pay in the event that a loss does occur.
In the event that you have experienced a Comprehensive loss under your auto insurance plan of glass damage, then your insurance company will set up an inspection in order to repair your vehicle. Often, in the case of minor damage to windshields and windows, it is possible to repair the damage. The original crack remains visible but a resin fills in the crack and then there is no longer any danger of it growing further. The alternative is to have the piece of glass replaced altogether, which tends to be much more expensive.
It is a common practice among insurance companies for the customer's Comprehensive deductible to be waived in the event that the policyholder agrees to have the windshield or windows repaired instead of replaced. This is done as both a courtesy and also because it allows the insurance company to save money on the overall cost of the windshield or windows. This option also saves the customer the cost of their deductible, which would be owed if the windshield or windows had to be replaced.
If glass damage is something that concerns you, then be certain to contact your insurance company in order to have Comprehensive insurance added to your auto insurance plan if you do not already have it. Auto insurance plans without Comprehensive do not cover glass damage to windshields and windows, so be aware that this is the only way to protect yourself.
