I broke off my side mirror backing out of my garage
I tore off my driver's side mirror backing out of my garage. Is that covered by my car insurance policy?
You and my wife must have went to the same driving school! With households having larger vans, SUV's and pickup trucks, garage dimensions haven't changed with the size of the vehicles. I find myself parking my 2004 F-150 pickup at an angle so my wife can park her 2006 Honda Odyssey in the space available, and it's still tight getting the doors open without dinging the other vehicle.
Not only can it be difficult parking two full-size vehicles in a normal-size garage, but backing out of the garage takes extra caution to avoid tearing off the driver or passenger side rear-view mirrors. So if you happen to back out of the garage a little too quickly without making the required "swing around" to clear the garage door frame, you're left with a mirror dangling from the side of your vehicle only held on by the power mirror cord.
So is it covered by car insurance? If you have collision coverage on your car insurance policy, it is covered. However, depending on your chosen deductible, it may not be the best decision to file a claim for the incident. If you have a $500 deductible and the damage estimate is $650, filing a claim for $150 with your car insurance company could actually cost you more than $150 if your rates increase or you lose claim-free discounts on your next renewal.
So the short answer it yes, it's covered (if you have collision coverage), but it may be one of those accidents that you just want to suck it up and pay the bill out of your pocket. And you might also consider widening your garage or trading for a smaller vehicle!
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