How to Handle Insurance for a Scratched Car?
3 Answers
You can directly call the insurance company's service hotline to report the incident, and the service personnel will arrange for repairs at a nearby 4S shop or repair shop. As long as the car scratches fall within the coverage of the car scratch insurance, you can directly file a claim with the insurance company. Scratch insurance is an additional coverage to the vehicle damage insurance, meaning it can only be purchased if the vehicle damage insurance is already in place and cannot be purchased separately. How to handle car scratch insurance: During the insurance period, if scratches appear on the body surface without obvious collision marks, you can directly report the incident to your insurance company. The reporting process is: Call the insurance company to report the incident--Insurance company personnel come to inspect the scene--Go to the insurance company for damage assessment--Go to a 4S shop or auto repair shop for repairs. Generally, scratch insurance requires immediate reporting, and the insurance company will send someone to investigate and determine whether the damage was caused by the current incident. If the scratches are old, the insurance company will not cover the compensation. If the scratches on the car were caused previously, the insurance company will not provide compensation. Coverage of car scratch insurance: The insurance liability of scratch insurance covers malicious acts by others that cause artificial scratches on the insured vehicle's body. However, losses caused intentionally by the insured, their family members, the driver, or their family members are excluded from coverage. Scratch insurance applies to scratches on the vehicle's paint surface. If there are obvious collision marks, such as deep scratches or significant dents, these are not considered scratches but fall under the coverage of vehicle damage insurance.
The other day, my car got scratched while parked in the neighborhood. I immediately took out my phone and snapped three panoramic photos: the scratch location, a full car shot with license plate, and the surrounding environment. Then I called 122 to report it and register with the police—getting the accident confirmation report from them is crucial. After that, I promptly contacted my insurance company to file a claim, and they arranged for an adjuster to assess the damage. Here’s a key point: for minor scratches, if settling privately is cost-effective, just take the cash. But if the damage exceeds a thousand bucks, you must go through insurance; otherwise, your premium will spike the next year. Last time, I had it fixed at a 4S shop—after the assessment, I drove straight in for repairs without paying a dime out of pocket. Just remember to get the repair list and invoice. If the other party is fully at fault, it’s even easier: take their insurance info to their designated repair shop.
If your car gets scratched, quickly check if insurance covers it. First, review your insurance policy. If you only have compulsory traffic insurance, it won't cover your own vehicle damage—you'll need commercial insurance like vehicle damage or scratch coverage. Remember the 48-hour rule: you must report the incident within this timeframe, or the insurer may reject the claim. I recommend documenting the scene immediately: record a video of the entire process, capturing the damage and license plate from multiple angles. If the other party flees, call the police right away—they can check surveillance footage. During the damage assessment, be wary of scams, like repair shops pushing for new parts when insurance may only cover repairs. Also, if the scratches are minor, it's more cost-effective to handle multiple incidents together, as scratch coverage has claim limits.
