Prior damage, when we talk car insurance terms, refers to any damage to a car before you either bought the car (in the case of buying a second hand car) or when you insure the car. Finding out about prior damage to a car is important not only for yourself but also for your insurance company.

When you are looking around for a second-hand car to buy also ask the owner and dealer if the car has been in an accident before. There are a number of ways to spot accident damage to a car such as a badly done overspray job or extra bends in the chassis. If you are unsure get an expert opinion by having an assessment done. You do not want to find out that your car was previously in an accident when it starts giving you trouble or during a service.

Your insurance company needs to know about any prior accident damage as this will influence their decision to insure or not, as well as the premium they will ask you. This is one of the reasons why you need to take your car for an inspection before your insurance comes into effect. The people doing the inspections on behalf of the car insurance company have been trained to look for prior accident damage. You can’t expect your insurance company to pay for repairing the damage that took place before they insured your car.