Will Insurance Pay If I Hit My Own Car?

Last Updated on February 19, 2021

So you damaged your own vehicle. Fortunately, you have insurance. But will car insurance really pay if you hit your own car? Or are you out of luck?

Basic liability car insurance will not cover damage if you hit your own vehicle. However, if you have full coverage car insurance, then you should be able to make a claim under your collision or comprehensive coverage.

Today, we’re explaining everything you need to know about whether or not insurance pays if you hit your own car.

Yes, Insurance Should Pay (If You Have Collision Coverage)

There are multiple situations where you could hit your own car. You might smash into your car while driving someone else’s car, for example. You might scrape one of your cars against the other car pulling into your garage.

In all of these cases, however, insurance should still pay – assuming you have collision coverage. Your collision coverage will cover damage to your own vehicle after most types of accidents.

You file a claim for hitting your own vehicle just as you would file any claim: you call up your insurance company, file a claim, and your insurance company agrees to cover the damage.

What Happens If I Don’t Have Collision Coverage?

If you don’t have collision coverage, then you may not be able to make a claim for damage to your own vehicle.

Collision coverage is optional in every state. Along with liability coverage and comprehensive coverage, collision coverage is one of the three main components of car insurance.

If you have full coverage car insurance, then you have collision coverage. If you only have basic liability insurance, however, which is the lowest amount legally required in any state, then you will not have collision coverage:

Liability Coverage: Covers damages you cause to other drivers, people, or property. If you collide with someone else’s vehicle and the accident was your fault, then the other driver may be able to make a claim through your liability coverage for vehicle repairs, medical bills, etc.

Collision Coverage: Covers collision-related damage to your vehicle. If you collide with another vehicle and the accident was your fault, then you can make a claim through your collision coverage to repair damage to your vehicle.

Comprehensive Coverage: Covers non-accident-related damage to your vehicle, including theft, vandalism, flood damage, hurricane damage, tornado damage, hail damage, fallen tree branches, etc.

Whether you can make a claim or not after a colliding with your own vehicle depends on the situation. Below, we’ll talk about some of the common situations where you may have hit your own vehicle.

Hitting Your Own Car At Home

Let’s say you’re pulling into your garage after work. Your husband’s car is already in the garage, and you accidentally strike his car pulling in.

Assuming both vehicles are insured, you’ll be able to make a claim under each vehicle’s collision coverage policies. You pay a deductible, then insurance will cover the remaining damages. The insurance policy of each vehicle will cover damage to that vehicle.

In this situation, it’s unlikely there are injuries to anyone in either vehicle. Since this is just a property damage situation, the claims process should be easier.

Hitting your Own Property While Driving

You might also damage your own vehicle by accidentally driving into a wall of your home, your mailbox, your fence, or other property.

Yes, it’s a stupid mistake – but car insurance can still cover these damages. As in the situation above, you can make a claim through your collision coverage. Your car insurance company should cover the cost of repairing your vehicle to its pre-loss condition.

If you have homeowners insurance coverage, then you can also file a claim through your homeowners insurance. Your homeowners insurance will cover the cost of repairing your property to pre-loss condition.

If the damage is minor – like a broken mailbox – then it’s not likely worth it to pursue a homeowners insurance claim. If the damage is more significant – like you drove through the wall into your living room – then it’s probably worth making a homeowner’s insurance claim.

Alternatively, if you don’t own the property, then the claim process works differently. If you rent your home or apartment, then you are not the owner: the landlord owns the property. In this case, your auto insurance will cover the damage because all auto insurance comes with property damage liability coverage.

Similarly, if you crash into a friend’s house or neighbor’s fence, your car insurance will cover the cost of repairing this damage. Your friend or neighbor would make a claim through your car insurance liability damage, then receive payment to cover the damage.

Getting Into an Accident With Another Car You Own

What if you are driving down the road and accidentally get into an accident with your husband or wife? Or your reckless teenage driver is speeding down your street, and you collide with him when you pull out of your driveway? Or you let your friend borrow one of your cars and you accidentally hit him? Can you still make auto insurance claims in these situations? Or will you have to pay out-of-pocket because you hit another car that is in your name?

Fortunately, if you collide with your own vehicle, your collision coverage will cover the claim (assuming both cars are insured). You would make a collision claim under the policy of each vehicle to get the cars repaired.

If somebody is injured in an accident between two vehicles that you own, the insurance company will first work to determine which vehicle was at fault in the accident. After determining fault, the at-fault vehicle’s liability coverage will pay for the medical bills of the injured party. If the injuries occur in the at-fault vehicle, then personal injury protection coverage or the injured’s personal health insurance policy will kick in to cover the medical bills.

Should You Report Every Claim to Insurance?

If you hit your own vehicle, you may be tempted to avoid reporting the claim to insurance – especially if the damage is minor.

Generally, it’s a good idea to report all incidents to your insurance company – even if you don’t ultimately plan to file a claim. In fact, your car insurance policy may require you to report all incidents or you could risk having future claims denied.

It may not be in your best financial interest to file a claim. Let’s say you collide with another vehicle and it’s going to cost $300 to repair the damage. Your collision coverage deductible is $500, which means you’re better off just paying for repairs out of pocket and skipping the claims process.

It may not be worth it to make a claim even if the damage is more than your deductible. A single collision coverage claim could cause your premiums to rise for years. You could lose your safe driving discount.

Ultimately, it’s still a good idea to talk to your insurance company about making the claim. Your insurance company can advise you on the best path forward – including whether or not it’s worth it to make a claim.

Final Word on Insurance Paying If You Hit Your Own Car

If you have collision coverage, then insurance should pay if you hit your own vehicle. Your collision coverage covers damage to your own vehicle during a collision or other incident – say, colliding with your garage door or smashing through your fence.

Talk to your insurance company to determine your options after you hit your own car.