No one likes to think about getting into a car crash, but the unfortunate reality is that they're quite common. Do you know what to do if this happens? Will your auto insurance cover the collision repair service? According to Safer America, third parties end up paying 14% of the costs of a car accident, individual victims 26%, and private insurance companies about half. Here are some common car crash scenarios and how your insurance policy comes into play on the coverage. In some cases, there are slight nuances that will affect the coverage.

Hit a Pothole, Damaged Suspension

According to J.D. Power, your car's suspension is a protective lattice of shock-absorbing components such as springs and dampers. This helps to ensure that your vehicle is safe and smooth by absorbing the energy from various road bumps and other kinetic impacts. Should this system become damaged, your collision auto insurance would cover it if the damage was caused by an impact event, such as hitting a curb or pothole. The policy would not cover it if the damage was from wear and tear or from any non-impact events.

Like any claim, you'll have a deductible to pay. This will most likely be close to what the cost of the collision repair would be. In these instances, you may not want to file a claim and have the repair done out of pocket. Getting good estimates on the repair costs can help you decide if an insurance claim is worth it for most damage.

Hit from Behind, Rear End Damage

There are approximately 1.7 million rear-end accidents a year, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. There can be many different kinds of damage associated with this type of collision, such as rear bumper damage, drivetrain issues, and possibly damage to the entire exhaust system. These issues can cost a few hundred or tens of thousands of dollars to repair if the frame is damaged in the wreck. For these types of damage, as long as you are shown not to be at fault legally, the other driver's insurance will pay for the damage under their car liability section of property damage.

There are times that you'll still be liable for repairs. This may be the case if the driver doesn't have insurance or if they're underinsured and their liability limit is lower than the cost of your collision repair. If that's the case, your own collision insurance will take over. If you don't have collision insurance, having an uninsured or underinsured property damage policy addition may cover it.

Hit Someone's Wall, Front End Damage

If you hit a wall that you don't own, collision coverage should take care of the damage because it takes care of damage from impact whether it's a car or an object. The damage to the wall will be addressed through the owner's claim against your liability for property damage.

This type of collision repair is another than can vary widely in costs. It'll depend on whether you're just getting paint scratches and a bumper repair or if the frame is damaged or the engine has been affected. The type of repairs needed will determine your damage costs.

Hit a Deer, Extensive Damage

According to MoneyGeek, 1.5 million crashes are caused by deer every year, leading to more than $1 billion in repair damage and around 10,000 injuries. Hitting a deer can mean quarter-panel damage, windshield cracks, and sometimes problems with the undercarriage. This is an impact event, however, this type of damage is covered under a comprehensive, not collision, policy because it impacted an animal and was out of your control.

However, if you swerve to miss the deer and hit a car or another object or roll your vehicle, then your collision insurance coverage comes into effect. This is because the impact now affects objects and vehicles. Injuries, if any, would be covered under PIP (personal injury protection) or medical payment coverage in your insurance.

Collision repair for deer hits or damage from swerving to miss a deer can vary depending on where on the vehicle the strike is. There's typically a good bit of damage in these types of situations that more than cover the deductible.

Hit a Telephone Pole, Dented Bumper

A dented bumper could mean a collision repair shop could be able to pull the dent out and repaint the bumper or will need to order a new bumper entirely. These costs will vary depending on the car type and the damage severity. Some of these bumpers will have added expenses because of the collision avoidance system sensors that many automakers use.

Because you hit an object you didn't own, your collision insurance does cover this after your deductible. If the telephone pole was damaged, the claim that may come against you for that will be paid via your property damage liability coverage. Everyone is required by law to have this.

Depending on the repair bill, you may or may not want to file a claim. Keep in mind that policy charges do increase after a claim for most insurance companies.

Deep Paint Scratches

Deep paint scratches can be caused by several events, and they're all covered differently from an insurance point of view.

• Vandalism

     Perhaps you parked in a seedy area and your car was keyed. No one's taking responsibility and there's no way to know       who did it. These deep paint scratches are from vandalism and would only be covered in your comprehensive policy,           not your collision policy. This type of damage is pricey, as you may need the entire section or even the entire car                   painted to ensure paint match.

• Vehicle Accident

     However, if the deep paint scratches were from someone sliding over into your car or another type of vehicle accident,       then they'd be covered by their liability insurance. Since the accident was caused by someone else, their insurance will       take care of the damage.

• Collision With an Object

      If the scratches were from your own collision with an object, then your collision coverage will take care of it as long as        it wasn't an animal or other comprehensive event.

Auto Collision Repair Insurance

While there is no standard auto repair insurance, coverage for damage can be filed under collision or comprehensive insurance, depending on what was hit. Collision insurance pays for any crash-related damage from objects and vehicles whereas comprehensive insurance pays for damage that was made to your vehicles from things that were not a collision, such as falling objects, animals, riots, and vandalism.

For both types of repair insurance, there is a deductible. This is the amount you'll pay before your insurance starts to pay a claim. This is typically a few hundred dollars but could be a thousand or more depending on your individual policy. Keep in mind that collision repair insurance usually doesn't cover any mechanical breakdowns or engine defaults, nor any wear and tear. They're for impact collisions only.

If you'd like more information about collision repair services, insurance, or damage mitigation, give City Side Auto Body a call today. We're here to help you understand the ever-complex world of insurance and auto repair!