(Anyone know of an insurance forum or ng?) Here goes:
Is this Collision or Comprehensive?
My car was parked at home and unused for a few days. I live on a hill. When I got up to go to work, I noticed that the rear light panel had a hole in it, with the broken pieces on the ground. It looked like the light panel got poked with someting. There was no bumper damage to the car, so it's obvious that another car/vehicle didn't hit it. I suspect that either a workman (gardner, contractor) bumped a tool or ladder, or the garbage man accidentally swung his can or plastic collection box into the light panel.
The car is a 2001 Impala. The light panel is attached to the lower edge of the trunk lid, and runs the entire distance of the trunk lid. The bumper, of course, protrudes out farther than the light panel that was damaged. If another car would have hit my car, there would be bumper damage, and if a larger, higher bumpered truck would have hit my car, and it's bumper went over my bumper, it would have smashed in the entire trunk, and not left just a hole.
The damage is between $850 and $1100. I have $100 deductible on comprehensive, and $1000 on collision. My (Allstate) agent tells me he contacted claims, and they say this is covered under collision, not comprehensive. This is contrary to everything I've read and experienced in the past with comprehensive coverage. The repair shops also told me this should be covered under comprehensive.
What do you think?
My agent also told me that even if a baseball hit it, it'd be covered under collision unless I had a witness.