Damage to someone else’s parked car: what full casco and partial casco pay for
A small scratch or a dent on the car can happen quickly, especially in narrow parking spaces. Who has to pay for the repair costs and which insurance covers them? Comparis explains.
iStockphoto/Jianglong Meng
1. What is parked car damage?
Not all damage to parked vehicles is parking damage in the sense of insurance. The decisive factor is who caused the damage:
If an unknown person damages your parked car, it is a parked car damage. Here – if available – the parked car damage insuranceapplies.
If the perpetrator is known, the liability insurance of the person causing the damage covers the loss.
If you have caused the damage to your own car yourself, if available, the full casco insurance will come into play. From an insurance point of view, this is then a collision.
Who pays for the parking damage?
| Person causing the damage | Affected car | Who pays? |
|---|---|---|
| An unknown person | Your car | Your parking damage insurance, if available. |
| Someone you know | Your car | The liability insurance of the person causing the damage. |
| You | To your car | Your full casco insurance, if available. |
| You | To someone else’s car | Your liability insurance. |
What does parking damage insurance cost?
Each insurance company offers different models. There are big differences in terms of the number of insured claims per year and the maximum insured amount per claim. The premiums vary accordingly.
Example of a covered parking damage claim
You return to your vehicle after shopping and notice a new scratch on the door. There is no trace of the perpetrator. If you have parking damage insurance, it will cover the costs – minus any coinsurance.
Good to know: The National Guarantee Fund (NGF)
Have you not taken out special additional parking damage insurance and the perpetrator is unknown due to a hit-and-run? In this case, the National Guarantee Fund (NGF) can step in. However, note two important conditions:
High coinsurance: In the event of property damage, a statutory coinsurance of 1,000 francs. You usually have to pay for minor scratches or bumps yourself.
Obligation to inform the police: The damage must be reported to the police. The NGF will only consider covering the costs if you have an official police report.
Tip: Since the repair costs for modern sensors and cameras today are often well over 1,000 francs, it is worth reporting to the NGF more often than before despite the coinsurance.
Vandalism to a parked car
Vandalism to the car or wilful damage are excluded from parking damage insurance cover. Instead, the partial casco insurance. Important: Most insurance companies exclude events such as riots or uprisings.
2. Damage while parked – what to do?
Report the damage as soon as possible. In some cases, insurance companies require a police report. Who you contact first depends on the circumstances of the accident:
| Damage to your own car | Damage to someone else’s car | |
|---|---|---|
| Who should I contact? | Depends on who caused the damage:
|
Owner of the vehicle, your own liability insurance, possibly the police |
Damage to a parked vehicle caused by someone else – what to do?
Wait for the owner of the car and fill in the accident report together.
Inform the police, if the owner of the car cannot be found. Otherwise, you will be liable to prosecution.
Does the full casco insurance cover damage while parked?
Do you have full casco insurance without a parked car damage add-on? Depending on the insurance, third-party damage while parked is already covered by the full casco insurance. Check the insurance provisions of your full casco insurance to see what applies in your contract.
In terms of insurance, however, this is then a full casco event. In the event of damage, you usually have to regular deductible. In addition, depending on the insurance model, there is a risk of a loss of bonus.
3. Is parking damage insurance useful?
While the full casco covers parking damage to your own car even if you are at fault, the additional cover « parking damage » in the event of damage caused by unknown third parties. Our expert advises not to cancel this protection after four years as in the past: due to the high repair prices, a full casco including additional parking damage cover often up to the seventh or eighth year of the vehicle is useful.
Repair costs have risen significantly in recent years – especially for newer cars with sensors in the bumper. Whether it makes sense to take out cover for parking damage depends largely on the type of vehicle, its age and your own parking behaviour. It’s worth checking this regularly – not just when buying a car.
4. Do I need a full casco policy for parking damage?
Many providers insure parking damage in conjunction with a full casco cover. To do this, you must select the additional option «parking damage» Some insurance companies also offer partial cover the parked car damage add-on.
Compare car insurance
Insurance costs can vary greatly. This applies to full casco insurance as well as to the parked car damage add-on. It can therefore be worth comparing.
This article was first published on 29.07.2019
