Mark Edcel Lopez
February 27, 2026
"Which insurance claims require a deductible? We list the most common comprehensive and collision claims that will have you paying out-of-pocket in 2026."
You pay your car insurance premium every month for financial protection. However, when an incident actually happens, the first bill you will receive is not from your insurance company—it's your deductible. Knowing which events will make you pay your deductible is important for preparing financially. Your liability coverage, which pays for damage you cause to other people, does not have a deductible. The expense is borne by claims filed for damage to your own car. This guide will walk you through the most common, everyday events that fall under your Collision and Comprehensive coverage and will require you to pay your deductible.
Deductibles Are for Your Car: Deductibles are for claims involving damage to your own car, which are covered under Collision and Comprehensive coverage.
Collision Claims Happen Often: Any type of collision, whether it’s a parking lot accident or a collision with a pole, is a collision claim that will need a deductible.
Comprehensive Claims Happen Often and Can Vary: Theft, vandalism, weather (hail, falling trees), and hitting an animal are all common comprehensive claims that will need a deductible.
Glass Damage is a Special Exception: Repairing or replacing your windshield is a very common comprehensive claim, but many policies have a special, much lower (or even $0) deductible for this type of claim.
Preparation is Key: Given how often these things happen, having a plan to pay your deductible is not a choice; it’s a necessity.
Editor’s Choice Solution: The solution to being prepared is PillowPays. It’s a free service that automates setting aside money for your deductible so you’re prepared for any of these common claims.
Claim Type | Coverage Used | Deductible Required? |
|---|---|---|
Rear-End Collision | Collision | Yes |
Vehicle Theft | Comprehensive | Yes |
Hail Damage | Comprehensive | Yes |
Hitting a Deer | Comprehensive | Yes |
Windshield Crack | Comprehensive | Yes (but often a lower, separate deductible) |
Vandalism (Keyed Car) | Comprehensive | Yes |
You decide to park your car at the mall, and after your return to the car, you notice a huge dent in your door and a long, sharp scratch. The other driver has already left the scene. Despite your annoyance, you call the insurance company and are glad to find out you are covered. The agent is quite helpful and may start the claim, but then comes the part you forget: "Alright, so you have a $1, 000 deductible that you'll be paying directly to the repair shop." Your relief instantly changes to fear. You need to pay $ 1,000 for a hit-and-run that wasn't even your fault. Such a scenario is extremely common and underscores why it is crucial to know your deductible and when to trigger a claim.
In the case of auto insurance, deductibles are relevant to the coverages that helps your vehicle regain its condition after damage. They are not applicable to your liability coverage, which is the kind of insurance that saves you from lawsuits and covers the damages you cause to other people.
Collision Coverage: This type of coverage will be used for repairs or replacement of your vehicle, which got damaged when you hit another vehicle or an object like a fence or a tree.
Comprehensive Coverage: This type of coverage will pay for damages to your vehicle caused by events other than collision. This is also known as "other than collision" coverage.
If you are the one responsible for the accident, or if the responsible party is uninsured or cannot be identified (for instance, a hit, and, run), you will submit a claim through your own collision insurance and cover the cost of your deductible.
Fender, Benders: Low-speed impacts in traffic or parking lots happen all the time.
Rear-End Collisions: It doesn't matter if you rear, ended someone or got hit by an uninsured driver.
Backing Accidents: You may have backed into another car, a pole, or a garage door.
Single, Vehicle Accidents: For example, you lost control of your car on an icy road and hit a guardrail, or you swerved to avoid something and hit a tree.
Any vehicle can experience one or more non-accident occurrences at anytime and anywhere. Here are some examples:
Weather damages: (includes falling tree limbs, hail, flood);
Collision with animals: (such as deer - an especially common occurrence for vehicles throughout the United States);
Theft/vandalism: (theft/vandalism to vehicles includes all forms of breaking and entering or theft, and all forms of intentional damage, such as keying and slashing tire(s));
Fallen objects: (from construction sites or objects falling off of other vehicles);
Fire: (fire in an engine or in the garage where the vehicle is stored);
Glass damage: (This claim occurs more often than any other type of comprehensive insurance claim due to the ongoing number of rocks being thrown up from vehicles on the highways. Most auto insurers recognize how common and dangerous these occurrences are and will offer a separate and significantly discounted glass deductible.
Reviewing this list, it’s easy to see that a deductible-triggering claim is not a question of if, but when. These are not unusual events; they are common hazards of car ownership. Leaving it to chance to avoid them is not a plan. Being financially ready is.
This is where PillowPays is such a vital resource. It’s designed for the reality of these common claims. Instead of being caught off guard by an unexpected $1,000 bill, you can take advantage of our free, automated service to create your Deductible Fund over time.
PillowPays turns the financial shock of a common claim into a planned-for transaction. It will ensure that when a tree branch falls, or a shopping cart damages your door, you have the money available to fix it right away, without going into debt. It’s the best way to prepare for the most common financial speed bumps along the way.
If the accident is not my fault, do I still have to pay a deductible? Most of the time, yes, at least for the first time. You would have to pay your deductible to get your car fixed, and then your insurance company would try to recover the cost from the at-fault driver's insurance company (this is called subrogation). If they manage to do this, you will be refunded your deductible, but the refund may take several months.
What if the repair cost is less than my deductible? You'll have to pay for the repairs out of your own pocket. If the repair cost is less than your deductible, you wouldn't file a claim. There's no need to involve your insurance in the case of an $800 damage to a vehicle with a $1, 000 deductible.
Does my deductible apply if my car is totaled? Certainly, if your vehicle is considered a total loss, the insurance company will first establish the vehicle value, then pay you the dollar amount of the vehicle value after deducting your deductible.
From fender benders to falling branches, the most typical insurance claims are the ones that will require you to pay your deductible. These are not exotic, once-in-a-lifetime occurrences; they are the typical risks associated with car ownership and operation. The first step towards true financial preparedness is to accept this fact. The second step is to do something about it. By using a free automated savings service such as PillowPays to create a specific deductible savings fund, you can meet these typical occurrences with confidence, rather than with fear.
Ready to secure your firm's financial future? Visit PillowPays.com today to learn how our platform can help you manage premiums, deductibles, and professional fees with ease, transforming insurance management into a strategic asset for your business.
Written by the PillowPays Editorial Team — financial technology and payment processing experts committed to empowering businesses and consumers with tools for financial security and independence.