So if it was your truck you wouldn’t expect the other guy to pay? I call BS in this. So the guy should file a claim and not only pay a deductible but also risk his premiums going up? Nope. Also, a contract for insurance does not require you to file a claim or report all damage. No where in an insurance policy does it say that.
Oh boy.
Look I’m not going to get nasty with you because a lot of people don’t understand their car and home insurance policies, but you are wrong and emphatically calling BS on me won’t make you right. I’ll try to help you understand.
When you agree to an insurance policy what you are doing is saying, “if some kind of damage occurs involving me and my car, I want the insurance company to handle everything - payment to others for things that are my fault, payment to repair my car, legal representation, etc.” and in order to get the insurance company to agree to this, you are willing to pay them a premium and agree to certain provisions.
One of those provisions, if you carefully read your policy, is under a section labeled “Duties After An Accident Or Loss”. (On the ISO policy form it’s Section E, but insurance companies who create their own policy may have it located elsewhere). In that section should be some kind of wording along the lines of:
A. We must be notified promptly of how, when and where an accident or loss happens. Notice should also include the names and addresses of any injured persons and of any witnesses.
Basically, you must report any accident, regardless of fault, to your insurance company. You agreed to that when you agreed to the policy.
When you agree to the auto policy, you are giving up your right to handle your own claims. Therefore, you are legally required to report any claim involving your car.
So, to answer your question, “no” I don’t expect the owner of the tent to pay for damage to my truck. I expect my insurance company to pay for damage to my truck - that’s what we agreed to in my auto insurance policy.
As well, if I don’t want to pay my deductible, then I should get the $0 deductible option for my policy. Otherwise, I should know that with any deductible I am telling the insurance company that I am willing to share a portion of any loss to my vehicle.
And finally, comprehensive losses shouldn’t affect your premium amount. The only thing that can affect your premium levels are driving violations and at-fault accidents, neither of which occurred in this tent fiasco.