Should You File an Insurance Claim for Car Damage from Hitting a Pothole?

It’s the time of year when drivers in Colorado drive an obstacle course while getting around town.  Constant freezing and thawing of asphalt creates potholes everywhere around Denver.   It’s smart to avoid potholes if at all possible, but sometimes you just don’t see them until it’s too late … and you’ve damaged your car.  If your lucky, you only knock the wheels out of alignment, but you can also damage the tires, wheel rims, suspension system  and undercarriage.  Ouch that sounds expensive….and it is!

If You Hit a Pothole and Damage Your Car Your First Instinct is to File an Insurance Claim

Beware of filing a claim under your insurance policy though.  Several times over the last couple of years I’ve had clients call me for an auto insurance quote.  I ask (Clyde, just because he has to have a name) if he’s  had any ‘at fault’ accidents in the last 5 years.  Clyde proudly declares “No! I’ve never caused an accident in my whole life.” Clyde is very proud of himself for good reason.

Before I can validate a premium for a quote,  I  run a report called a CLUE REPORT which lists all Clyde’s prior  auto insurance claims.  There I find a “collision claim” on Clyde’s insurance record which causes the price on my quote to increase significantly.  What happened?  Clyde has the “Pothole Blues.”

The scenario possibly went down something like this:  Clyde took his car into a repair shop to have ‘pothole’ damage repaired.  The very nice and well intentioned repair person  asked Clyde for his auto insurance carrier name and policy number. The repair man tells Clyde not to worry…as long as Clyde carries ‘collision’ coverage on his auto insurance policy, all he needs to pay is his deductible.  And as an added service, the shop  will call Clyde’s carrier and file the claim for him.  Clyde is elated!  It’s a win-win situation for both of them. The repairman locked in a nice repair job and Clyde is relieved to know someone else will pay for his car damage because it really wasn’t his fault. And he feels justified filing a claim, because he’s paid his premium all these years and finally he gets a payback.

Damage to Your Car From Hitting a Pothole Can Be Considered an ‘At Fault’ Accident

The problem is this:  Most insurance carriers consider “hitting a pothole” (or any debris laying in the road)  is considered to be an ‘at fault’ accident and can increase your auto insurance rate for 3-5 years depending on the carrier. 

Paying Out-of-Pocket to Repair Damage Might be Cheaper than Filing an Insurance Claim

Before filing a claim for any car damage, I recommend calling your local independent insurance  agent first, to see if it makes financial sense to file a claim or pay out-of-pocket for repairs. Most agents are happy to run through the ‘what if’ scenarios with you.

Click here for more information on the cost of car damages from potholes.

Find out if your car  insurance policy has coverage  for this type of incident.  Review your deductible amount, and ask if you file a claim….will your insurance premium go up?  And… will  an ‘at fault’ accident be placed on your CLUE report.  Some carriers have a ‘payout’ threshold that has to be breached before they will surcharge a policy for an ‘at fault’ claim.   This is good information for you to have prior to filing , because many times a policy  is surcharged for 3-5 years  which can be  much more expensive in the long run as opposed to just paying for the damage ‘out of pocket. And once the claim is filed, it could possible show an as ‘at fault’ accident even if they carrier doesn’t pay out on the claim. 
Knowledge is power! 

Denver West Insurance Brokers is located on the west side of Denver and serves the surrounding cities of Golden, Arvada, Lakewood, Littleton, Morrison, Wheat Ridge, Boulder and Evergreen.  Give us a call, we are happy to answer additional questions for you.