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Does using collision coverage help while fault is still disputed?
If the other driver’s insurer hasn’t finished investigating, can a driver use their own collision coverage to get repairs moving sooner, assuming they have that coverage? I’m curious whether that means paying the collision deductible up front, and whether it can later be recovered if the other insurer accepts responsibility.
Before deciding, what’s worth asking my own insurer about timing, deductible recovery, and any effect on the claim? If contacting both insurers, should I keep each claim number and save copies of estimates, repair records, and messages so the files stay connected?
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One distinction worth keeping in mind: using collision coverage usually lets your insurer handle the repair under your policy while it pursues reimbursement from the other insurer through subrogation. That process doesn’t itself decide fault. Ask whether any recovery could include your deductible and, if the insurers recover only part of their costs, how that amount would be divided.