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How do I avoid paying a car insurance deductible?
I can't afford to pay my car insurance deductible right now, but I need to file a claim for damages that I can’t afford out of pocket. What should I do? How can I avoid paying it?
Liz Jenson · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
You’re definitely not alone in this—setting your deductible high can make insurance payments easier, but can also make accidents more expensive. While you won’t be able to avoid paying your deductible once you file your claim, I’m happy to say that there are a few things you can do.
If you can’t afford your deductible right now, you won’t have to file your claim immediately. Depending on where you live, you could have anywhere from 30 days to 1-2 years to file your claim. If you think you could save up to afford your deductible, it may be worth waiting to file.
You can also try setting up a payment plan with your mechanic so that you can pay back the amount over time instead of all at once. If you have a credit card, put the charge on credit and pay back the amount slowly. If you need to, you could also take out a loan to pay the deductible.
Since you can’t get out of a deductible, it’s important to pick an insurance plan that works for you whether you get into an accident or not. The easiest way to do this is through the
Jerry
app—we’ll collect customized quotes from top-of-the-line insurers for you, so that all you have to do is pick the plan that works best for you.Best of luck—you’ve got this!
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- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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