I was recently involved in a "fender bender." Fortunately, no one was hurt, but now my car door is dented. Will my insurance pay for all the damage?

Dear Wonder:

I guess you' re wondering if your mishap will put a dent in your wallet as well. As in so many insurance scenarios, the answer is: it depends. Here's a crash course in collisions and auto insurance.

First the good news: If you carry (optional) collision coverage, your insurance company will pay for the repair of your car.

The bad news is that you will have to pay the deductible, even if the accident wasn't your fault. However, if the other party was completely at fault, your insurer may try to recover the money it has paid, as well as your deductible (which it will refund to you), from that person. The exception is in Ontario and Quebec, where insurers are prevented by law from recouping their money -- and your deductible -- from the at-fault driver. In those two provinces, however, you can recover the portion of your deductible, to the extent that the other driver was at fault, from your own insurer.

If you don't have collision coverage and you were at fault, get ready to pay through the nose, because you are personally responsible for the damages. However, if you weren't at fault (not even partially), you could claim for payment of your damages from the at-fault driver. In Ontario and Quebec, you would claim from your own insurer.

Assuming that your car can be repaired and that you are covered, your insurer is responsible only for paying to fix the damage. If you want to have additional work done that is not directly related to the collision damage, you are free to do so, but you will have to foot the bill for it. Similarly, if your car is made significantly better by the repairs, you must contribute to the "betterment." For example, if your damaged door panel was rusty, and it was replaced with one that was not, you may be expected to contribute financially towards the "betterment" of your vehicle.

The bottom line is: when your insurer settles your claim, you should end up with a car that is as good as yours was before it was damaged -- not better (unless you pay for the improvement), but just as good. And that's as good as it gets.