There's no such thing as meeting your annual deductible like there is for health insurance. Instead you have to pay your deductible with most claims, no matter how many you have per year or the lifetime of your policy. Also, your insurer only pays for damages above your deductible. For example: If you have $300 in damages and a $500 deductible, you'd pay all of the repair costs. Also if you total your car, your insurer will give you a payment for its current value, minus your deductible.
Comprehensive and collision are the two most common coverages that include deductibles. You may also see a deductible for personal injury protection or uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage in some states. Deductibles work exactly the same for all coverages.
Explore more on comprehensive and collision.
When you have to pay your deductible
Your deductible only applies to damages to your car rather than to someone else's. The general rule is if your insurance company pays for your repairs, then you pay your deductible. When they pay, you pay.
When you don't have to pay your deductible
There are a couple common outliers:
Another driver hits you
If the other driver is officially deemed at fault, their insurance company should pay for your repairs, and you won't have to pay your deductible. There are some situations in which both drivers are at fault. In those cases, you may end up paying a portion of your deductible.
You choose not to repair your car
At Progressive, the decision is yours. If you choose not to repair your car in a claim, we'll then write you a check for how much the repairs would have cost (minus your deductible). For example: You have $1,000 in damages and a $500 deductible. If you don't get repairs, we'll give you a $500 payment.
If you're financing your car, your lender may require you to get repairs.
