Property damage claims

In plain English: property damage is the harm an accident does to your things rather than your body. After a car crash that's mainly the vehicle, but it also covers belongings inside it, a garden wall someone drove into, or a bike damaged in a collision.

Repair or write-off

An insurer will usually either pay for repairs or declare the car a total loss (a write-off, in UK terms) if repairing it would cost more than it's worth, or close to it. If it's a total loss, you're normally paid the vehicle's market value just before the crash, often called actual cash value, less any deductible if you're claiming on your own policy.

Valuations are where most disputes happen. Insurers use databases of comparable vehicles, and they don't always account for low mileage, recent new tyres, a new clutch or optional extras. If the figure feels low, find adverts for the same make, model, year and mileage near you, gather receipts for recent work, and send them in writing with a request to revise the offer.

What else you can claim

• Loss of use: a rental or courtesy car while yours is off the road, or compensation for being without one.
• Towing and storage fees. Storage charges add up daily, so move quickly.
• Diminished value: in some US states, the drop in resale value even after a good repair.
• Personal items: child seats (many manufacturers recommend replacing after a crash), phones, laptops, tools, sports kit.
• Other property: fences, walls, gates or buildings damaged in the accident.

Who to claim from

You can often claim from the at-fault driver's insurer, or through your own collision cover and let your insurer recover the cost later. Going through your own insurer is usually faster but may mean paying your deductible up front, which you can often get back if the other driver is found at fault. In the UK, accident management companies may offer a replacement car on credit hire; read the terms carefully, as you can be liable for the charges if the claim fails. In no-fault Canadian provinces such as Ontario, vehicle damage is often handled by your own insurer under set fault rules.

Evidence worth gathering

1. Photos of all damage, inside and out, before anything is moved or repaired.
2. Your own repair estimate from a garage you trust.
3. Service history and receipts for recent work or upgrades.
4. Receipts for rental cars, taxis, towing and damaged belongings.

Next: collision coverage · diminished value · actual cash value vs replacement cost.

Related terms