Daughter with Learner's Permit Damaged Car - Should I file under my Collision insurance? Or pay out of pocket?
My daughter is pretty responsible, but mistakes happen and while parking, she confused the gas for the brake and hit a telephone pole. It caused a fair amount of damage to the front bumper and grille. My wife was the supervising driver.
The car literally just came back from the shop for similar damage (other driver's fault), last week! Cost was about $3200.
I like this car, and want to keep it nice for resale value. So, I'm want to get it repaired by a professional body shop (again).
I have full coverage, and a $500 deductible. I assume that the cost to repair it will be the same. Should I...
- Claim it under my Collision insurance, pay the $500 deductible, and take the insurance points?
- How much might my insurance go up if my wife gets the insurance points? She hasn't had an accident in a very long time.
- Total out pocket = $500 now + whatever hit our premium might take, right?
Or, should I just pay out of pocket? I really don't want to pay $3k for this.
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From now on, my daughter will drive the beater.
Posted Feb 7, 2026, 10:53 PM UTC