You’re driving along the highway and a stone flies up and hits your windshield. It starts out as a little line and before you know it, you have a cracked windshield. The location of the crack could compromise the structural integrity of the glass, not to mention impair your vision while driving.
What do you do?
If you have comprehensive coverage on your automobile policy, then you most likely have glass coverage. Depending upon the type of damage you have to your windshield, you may be able to have a simple windshield repair versus a whole windshield replacement.
If you have a windshield repair done, this should not negatively impact insurance coverage provided by most insurance companies. Most of the time, a windshield repair shop will just bill your insurance company for the work done. The cost to repair the windshield is usually well below the deductible on your policy, and typically the insurance company will pay the whole amount.
If you have a windshield replacement done, you may have to pay a little bit of money — usually your comprehensive deductible. Get an estimate from a glass repair company to see what the cost will be and then decide whether or not to claim the expense. The cost of replacement may be lower than your deductible, in which case you must pay for the replacement out of pocket.
Your first glass replacement should not impact your insurance coverage. However, if you file three or more glass claims within a three-year period, you could be looking at some coverage changes come renewal time. Some insurance companies will increase your comprehensive deductible or remove coverage for glass damage from your policy.
When you notice that you have a chip or a little crack in your windshield, don’t wait too long to have it looked at. If it’s just a repairable chip, it's a good idea to tend to it quickly so that it doesn't get worse and turn into a full-blown windshield replacement.
Plus, don’t forget that you could be putting yourself and others at risk if the glass is not safe and secure, or you cannot see properly out of the windshield.
You can also read the previous articles in this series …
Common insurance situations — part one
In part one of our series on common insurance situations, we look at what to do if a person hits your car in a parking lot.
Common insurance situations — part two
In part two of our series on common insurance situations, we look at the converse of the first scenario: if you hit another person's vehicle in a parking lot.