One of the most common questions vehicle owners face when dealing with dent damage is: "Which insurance coverage applies to this damage?" Understanding the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage is crucial for filing the right claim and knowing what your deductible will be. Let's break down these coverage types and clarify which pays for various PDR scenarios.
Understanding Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive coverage protects your vehicle from damage caused by non-collision events—essentially anything that doesn't involve your car hitting another object or vehicle.
What comprehensive covers:
- Hail damage
- Falling objects (tree branches, rocks, debris)
- Vandalism and malicious mischief
- Theft damage
- Animal impacts (deer, etc.)
- Natural disasters (floods, tornadoes, earthquakes)
- Fire damage
- Glass breakage (in most policies)
Key characteristic: The damage happens TO your vehicle without you driving into something. These are typically described as "acts of God" or circumstances beyond your control.
Typical deductibles: $250, $500, or $1,000, though they can range from $100 to $2,500. Many people choose higher comprehensive deductibles than collision deductibles because comprehensive claims are often less frequent.
Understanding Collision Coverage
Collision coverage pays for damage when your vehicle strikes or is struck by another vehicle or object.
What collision covers:
- Accidents with other vehicles
- Single-car accidents (hitting a pole, guardrail, tree)
- Backing into objects or structures
- Damage from hitting potholes or road debris
- Rollover accidents
- Hit-and-run accidents where your car was hit
Key characteristic: Your vehicle makes contact with something else, whether moving or stationary, or another vehicle hits yours.
Typical deductibles: $500 or $1,000 most commonly, though they range from $250 to $2,500. Many people choose lower collision deductibles because collision accidents tend to be more costly.
PDR Scenarios and Coverage Types
Let's examine specific situations requiring PDR and which coverage applies:
Hail Damage → Comprehensive
Hail is one of the most common sources of PDR claims and always falls under comprehensive coverage. Whether it's a few dents or severe damage across the entire vehicle, comprehensive coverage handles hail damage repairs.
Why it matters: This is excellent news because comprehensive claims typically have less impact on insurance rates than collision claims.
Shopping Cart Dings → Comprehensive
When a runaway shopping cart dents your door in a parking lot, this is comprehensive coverage. The cart is an object that hit your stationary vehicle.
Important note: If you witnessed the cart and could have avoided it but didn't, technically this could be argued as your responsibility, but in practice, insurers treat shopping cart damage as comprehensive.
Door Dings from Other Cars → Depends
This scenario gets nuanced:
If you know who did it: File a liability claim against their insurance. This doesn't use your coverage and doesn't affect your rates.
If it's unknown/hit-and-run: This typically falls under collision coverage, even though your car was parked. You can file under your collision coverage minus your deductible.
Some exceptions: A few insurers treat parking lot dings as comprehensive if clearly vandalism-related, but collision is most common for unknown door dings.
Backing into a Pole → Collision
You were operating the vehicle and made contact with a stationary object. This is collision coverage, regardless of how minor the dent is.
Falling Tree Branch → Comprehensive
Nature delivered the damage, not your driving. This is comprehensive coverage whether the branch falls while you're parked or driving.
Someone Keyed Your Car (with denting) → Comprehensive
Vandalism falls under comprehensive coverage. If malicious key scratches created dents along with paint damage, PDR may address the dent component while paint correction addresses the scratches.
Baseball or Golf Ball Damage → Comprehensive
Projectiles from sports activities are falling objects under comprehensive coverage.
Deer Strike → Comprehensive
Animal impacts are comprehensive claims, even though they often occur while driving. This includes deer, elk, moose, and other wildlife.
Hit-and-Run While Parked → Usually Collision
If another vehicle hit yours and left the scene, this typically falls under collision coverage. Some states or policies may treat this differently, so verify with your insurer.
Exception: If you have uninsured motorist property damage coverage and can prove it was a hit-and-run, you might file under that coverage with a lower or no deductible.
Pothole Damage → Collision
Driving into a pothole that causes damage is a collision claim. Your vehicle struck a road hazard.
Note: Suspension and wheel damage from potholes is far more common than dent damage requiring PDR, but the coverage type remains collision.
Why the Distinction Matters
Understanding which coverage applies isn't just academic—it has real financial implications.
Different Deductibles
Many people carry different deductibles for comprehensive and collision coverage. You might have:
- Comprehensive: $250 deductible
- Collision: $1,000 deductible
For $800 worth of hail damage (comprehensive), you'd pay $250 out-of-pocket. For $800 of damage from backing into a pole (collision), you'd pay $800 out-of-pocket because it's below your deductible.
Rate Impact Differences
Comprehensive claims generally have minimal impact on your insurance rates because they're not due to your driving behavior. Many insurers won't raise rates for a single comprehensive claim, especially hail damage affecting many customers in a region.
Collision claims typically have more significant rate impacts because they suggest driving risk. Even not-at-fault collision claims can sometimes affect rates, depending on your insurer and state regulations.
Claims Frequency Tracking
Insurers track comprehensive and collision claims separately. Multiple comprehensive claims might not flag you as high-risk the way multiple collision claims would.
Coverage You Might Not Have
It's important to note that comprehensive and collision are optional coverages in most states (though lenders require them on financed vehicles).
Liability-only policies don't include comprehensive or collision coverage. If you only carry state-minimum liability insurance, you have no coverage for PDR repairs to your own vehicle, regardless of how the damage occurred.
Checking your coverage: Review your insurance declarations page or call your agent to confirm you have comprehensive and/or collision coverage and understand your deductibles.
Making the Right Claim Decision
Just because you have coverage doesn't mean filing a claim is always the best choice.
Consider filing when:
- Repair costs significantly exceed your deductible ($300+ over)
- Damage is extensive (hail affecting entire vehicle)
- You have a low deductible relative to repair cost
- The claim type (comprehensive) typically doesn't affect rates
Consider paying out-of-pocket when:
- Repair costs are close to your deductible
- You have multiple recent claims on record
- The damage is minor and cosmetic
- You want to preserve claim-free discounts
Special Situations
Rental Car Coverage
If you have rental coverage on your policy, it typically applies regardless of whether the claim is comprehensive or collision. PDR is usually quick enough that rental needs are minimal, but for extensive hail damage requiring several days of work, rental coverage can be valuable.
Diminishing Deductible Programs
Some insurers offer programs that reduce your deductible for each claim-free year. Understanding whether a particular PDR claim is worth filing depends on whether you'd lose this benefit.
Glass Coverage
Many comprehensive policies include glass coverage with reduced or zero deductibles. While not typically PDR-related, it's worth noting when you have multiple damage types (hail dents plus windshield damage, for example).
Questions to Ask Your Insurer
Before filing any PDR claim, confirm these details:
- "Which coverage applies to this specific damage scenario?"
- "What's my deductible for this coverage type?"
- "How might this claim affect my rates?"
- "Do you have a preferred network for PDR, or can I choose my technician?"
- "Will my claim-free discount be affected?"
State-Specific Variations
Some states have unique insurance regulations affecting coverage:
No-fault states: May have different rules about when collision vs. comprehensive applies.
Tort states: Generally follow the standard comprehensive vs. collision distinctions outlined here.
Special provisions: Some states prohibit rate increases for certain comprehensive claims like hail damage.
Always verify the specifics with your insurer as state laws and individual policy language can create variations.
The Bottom Line
Understanding whether your PDR repair falls under comprehensive or collision coverage helps you:
- Know which deductible applies
- Anticipate potential rate impacts
- Make informed decisions about filing claims
- Communicate accurately with your insurer
General rule of thumb:
- Nature, vandalism, and things hitting your parked car → Comprehensive
- You driving into things or car-to-car contact → Collision
When in doubt, call your insurance company before filing. They can clarify which coverage applies to your specific situation and help you make the best decision for your circumstances. Armed with this knowledge, you can navigate PDR insurance claims with confidence and avoid surprises about deductibles or coverage denials.