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When a maintenance problem leads to sudden damage
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If a car breaks down after a maintenance issue and the failure causes additional damage all at once, how do California insurers usually sort out what part, if any, falls under collision or comprehensive coverage? I’m trying to understand the distinction between a sudden insured event and the underlying mechanical failure or wear, which may simply be a repair expense.
Would maintenance records or a mechanic’s inspection findings usually help establish what caused the damage? I know the policy wording and circumstances matter, but I’m curious whether missed maintenance by itself can affect coverage for the separate damage, or whether the key question is how that damage happened.
1 reply
Sudden damage isn’t automatically a separate covered event. Collision generally applies when damage results from a collision, while comprehensive generally covers specified non-collision events. If a mechanical failure simply causes further damage, without a covered event causing it, that damage may still fall under a mechanical-breakdown or wear exclusion. The policy wording and the facts about what caused the damage are key.
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