by Steve | Oct 6, 2016 | Mobile Windshield Replacement
How does an auto insurance policy’s deductible apply to a broken windshield or windshield repair?
Three Different Types of Coverage
To understand Windshield Repair coverage, you should first understand the basics of car insurance. There are three types of auto insurance coverage: Comprehensive, Collision and Liability.
- Liability: If you cause an accident, this two-part coverage — including bodily injury liability and property damage liability — will pay for the other party’s medical bills and vehicle repairs. It will not protect you or your passengers if you are injured or your vehicle is damaged as a result of the wreck.
- Collision: This type of coverage will pay to fix or replace your own vehicle after an accident. Coverage extends to damage caused by collision with an object (e.g., a tree or house) or an accident in which no object was involved (e.g., if your car flips). Most states don’t mandate collision coverage, but if you have a loan or a lease, your finance company will probably require it. Collision insurance cannot usually be purchased without comprehensive coverage.
- Comprehensive: This protects your vehicle against certain types of damage not caused by an accident, such as theft, vandalism, falling objects, flood, fire, animals, or natural disasters. It also covers claims in which the damage is limited to glass damage such as a cracked or chipped windshield. Comprehensive insurance is optional unless your lender or lessor requires you to have it. This type of insurance is usually purchased in combination with collision coverage.
Deductibles
Any time a damage or accident claim is filed against your car insurance, you must pay a deductible. A deductible is a payment level that must be met before the insurance picks up the rest of the claim cost. Common car insurance deductible levels might be $0, $50, $100, $250, $500, or $1,000 per incident. A person with a $250 deductible would have to pay $250 towards repairs if damage exceeds that amount. Choosing a lower deductible may increase your annual premium, but would result in a lower out-of-pocket expense to repair or replace any vehicles involved.
Windshield Repair or Replacement
Comprehensive coverage deductibles are applied to cover windshield cracks or breakage as well as the other glass in your car. In the case of a broken windshield or one that is extremely damaged, your policy deductible would generally apply. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that when dealing with windshield damage. First, some insurance companies have a separate piece of the policy that defines coverage for glass breakage. This special coverage may allow for a lesser deductible owed on windshield replacement. Second, if the damage is minimal (smaller than a quarter is a good rule of thumb) like a chip, nick, or small crack, you may be able to have it repaired at no cost if your insurance company waives your deductible for having the repair performed.
How does this effect you/me?
Many people are unaware that you are able to select different deductible amounts for both the Collision and Comprehensive portions of your policy and many times the difference per month is minimal. I encourage you to question your agent about the difference or if you are shopping/buying online select the different coverage’s and see the monthly difference firsthand.
Example: (all information is used as examples only. Assuming full coverage)
- If you carry a $500 deductible for collision and $500 for comprehensive on your vehicle, the monthly premium is $80.
- However, if you carry a $500 collision deductible and a $100 comprehensive deductible the monthly premium may be $83.
Under the first scenario it would cost you $500 or the full cash price of the windshield, which ever is less.
Under the second scenario it would cost you $3 more per month but only cost you $100 to replace your windshield.
It is also important to understand that the comprehensive portion covers all of the glass in your vehicle not just the windshield. So, should someone vandalize your vehicle and breaks out the back glass and a door glass at the same time your deductible will cover both pieces to be replaced.
The newer vehicles are coming from the factory with more and more options attached to and in the windshield and as you can imagine the cost of these windshields are sky rocketing, replacing with the incorrect windshield may/will render the safety features inoperable and cause errors/alerts in today’s cars . Some of these options are Rain Sensors, Auto Light Sensors, Heated Wiper Park Area, Electrochromic, Acoustic Interlayer, Infared, Lane Departure Warning System, Antennas, Remote Start, Forward Collision Alert and many many more options that effect how your car operates.
I spoke with a customer the other day and one of the first things they said was “The insurance company is screwing me around”. When I asked what he meant he said the insurance company was telling him he had to pay his $500 deductible before they would pay anything for his windshield replacement………. I ask you, which would be easier to handle/come up with…$3/mo or $500 all at once?
by Steve | Sep 2, 2015 | Windshield Repair Albuquerque
4 Misconceptions About Windshield Repair
You’re driving down the highway, when suddenly a small object comes hurling right at your window. You think it is not big enough to do any major damage, but it still leaves a small chip in your windshield. Which leads to the ultimate question: Do you fix it or not fix it? We have all heard the phrase chips happen (haha, see what I did there?), and sometimes it’s hard to figure out the best way to handle them. Here are four misconceptions about windshield repair.
Misconception #1: My chip won’t spread
The chances of your chip not cracking are slim. Research shows that 70% of rock chips eventually will spread into much bigger ones. If the chip spreads too much (larger than a quarter), you will end up needing a total windshield replacement. That, of course,is a much more expensive repair. Get any chips taken care of as soon as possible, no matter how small, to ensure the repair is quick and inexpensive.
Misconception #2: I can buy a cheap repair kit from the store and fix it myself
We’ve all heard the saying: “You get what you pay for.” That could not be more true than when it comes to a windshield repair. You only get one shot at performing a rock chip so you want to make sure it is done correctly. Cheap repairs kits use inexpensive materials that often won’t endure the regular wear and tear of a windshield. Going to someone who knows what they’re doing and has quality materials to fix the problem the first time around means that you will save yourself time, money and the hassle of doing the job incorrectly yourself.
Misconception #3: I will have to pay for the repair out of my own pocket
For chip repair, as long as you have comprehensive full coverage on your vehicle most insurance companies, except State Farm, will completely waive your comprehensive deductible, no matter if it is $50 or $500. If you allow the chip to crack out and a full windshield replacement is required you will have to meet your deductible before the insurance company will pick up any amount for the replacement. Typically, you do not have to worry about your insurance premiums rising after filing the claim unless you were proved negligent or at fault. Windshield damage is a common occurrence that is often out of the driver’s control. Insurance companies will not penalize you for such a common incidence that requires just a simple fix.
Misconception #4:
Many shops will advertise and offer guaranteed chip repair, implying that they will guarantee the repair against ever cracking and leading you to believe that if the repair does crack out, you will get a refund of the amount you paid. THAT COULD NOT BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH!!!
I dare say that there is absolutely NO SHOP that will do that. If you believe that I challenge you to pay cash for the repair and when/if the repair cracks further I want you to go back to the shop and get your money back without buying a windshield from them.
Did you catch that? NO SHOP will refund the cost of the repair if you do not buy the replacement windshield from them. Their implied guarantee will only cover a CREDIT towards the cost of a new replacement, and only if they have not put a time frame on the guarantee. If they do apply the credit towards a new windshield most of these shops will increase the cost at least by the amount of the repair.
Hopefully I have cleared the air about some of the most common windshield repair misconceptions. However, if you have any other questions or want to know more about how we can help you fix your windshield just give us a call! You can reach Chapman Auto Glass representative at (505) 228-5869 to get the expert advice and exceptional service you need.
by Steve | Jan 29, 2014 | Windshield Repair Albuquerque
A Wisconsin man who became lodged in the windshield of a car that struck him said he turned to the driver and said, “Hello, I’m the guy you hit on the bicycle.”
The driver did not respond, but continued on, running a stop sign and hitting another vehicle before he arrived home, the cyclist, Steven Gove, told HTR Media about the Saturday incident ( http://htrne.ws/1bI58jh ).
The man finally noticed Gove when he stopped the car outside his home.
“He looked at me and said ‘Who are you? What are you doing in the car?'” Gove said. “He started freaking out: ‘I’m going to jail, I’m going to jail.'”
The man then locked the car doors and went into his home. Gove, whose body had gone most of the way through the windshield, then pulled his knees and feet into the car.
“I righted myself and got out,” he said. “I unlocked the passenger’s side door and started walking down the street.”
A witness had called police, who found Gove as he was walking and took him to a hospital. Doctors removed glass from Gove’s eyes and treated him for other cuts to the head and leg.
The driver, a 20-year-old Manitowoc man, was found at the home and treated at a hospital for a serious cut to the hand. He hadn’t been formally charged as of Tuesday morning, but he was facing several preliminary charges, including suspicion of drunken driving, suspicion of hit-and-run causing injury and suspicion of failing to render aid.
Gove, a 56-year-old newspaper carrier, was shocked that the driver didn’t see him on his three-wheeled delivery bike.
“I was wearing my blue overcoat with my neon reflective vest,” said Gove. “I had my front and rear flashers on. I have no idea why he didn’t see me.”
A 50-year-old Green Bay man died in a similar accident in 2007. Steven Warrichaiet was sentenced to 15 years in prison for hitting Tyrone Ware, driving home with Ware’s body lodged in the windshield and leaving Ware in the garage while Warrichaiet went inside and fell asleep on the couch. An autopsy showed Ware died instantly of spinal injuries.
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Information from: HTR Media, http://www.htrnews.com
Hopefully nothing this unfortunate happens, but if you ever find yourself needing Albuquerque windshield replacement and/or auto glass repair services contact Chapman Auto Glass.
by Steve | Jan 29, 2014 | Mobile Windshield Replacement
Here are a few examples of damage caused by installers who do not perform the necessary steps to properly treat and protect your vehicle during a windshield replacement.
by Steve | May 1, 2013 | Mobile Windshield Replacement
Welcome to Chapman Auto Glass and our Blog!
We hope you will find our posts useful, informative and helpful to you if or when you or someone you know are faced with the need for auto glass service.
I thought I would start with a few items that most of the general public is not aware of or are many times misinformed about.
The windshield of your car is much more important than you may have expected. Here are some reasons why you should get a cracked windshield replaced or a chip repaired by a professional auto glass technician.
- Your car’s windshield helps keep you and your passengers in the car during a car wreck. – The windshield of our vehicle provides a “shield” for you and your passengers. If your windshield is compromised with either a crack or a chip it can severely increase your chances of injury during a car accident. Get your windshield
replacement today and protect yourself and your loved ones from and unexpected accident.
- The windshield plays an important part in the passenger side air bag functioning properly. – Now that most cars come with airbags on the passenger side of the vehicle it becomes even more
crucial to have a solid windshield. If your windshield is cracked or chipped it won’t provide the passenger side airbag with the support it needs to pin the passenger to their seat to avoid being thrown from the vehicle. If the air bag doesn’t have the proper support from the windshield it could result in the passenger being seriously injured or death.
- A Windshield is a structural part of your vehicle and gives support to the roof of the vehicle. – If your windshield is chipped or cracked it will not prevent the roof from caving in on you during an accident. It may not seem like
getting your windshield repaired is a big deal but it could
save your life from an unexpected accident someday.
- The use of glass in automotive industry plays a more significant role in the design of the vehicle today than at any time in history. Other than safety the windshield is utilized for many options on today’s cars such as rain sensors, heated wiper park area, Lane Departure Warning Systems, Adaptive Cruise Control, Acoustic Interlayers, Heads Up Display (HUD), antennas, and several others options.
- EVERY, and I do mean EVERY windshield replacement requires the vehicle to remain parked for a period of time
to allow the urethane to properly adhere and cure. There is NO urethane on the market that will allow for a vehicle to be driven any sooner than 45 minutes (dual airbags) and 30 minutes (driver side airbag only) at the absolute MINIMUMN.
