Glossary

Collision deductible waiver

An option that pays or waives your collision deductible when an identified uninsured driver is at fault for damaging your car.

Also called: waiver of deductible, deductible waiver, uninsured motorist collision deductible waiver

A collision deductible waiver eliminates your collision deductible when your car is damaged by an at-fault driver who has no insurance. Normally, if an uninsured driver hits you and you claim under your own collision coverage, you pay the deductible and hope your insurer recovers it, which is unlikely when there is no other insurer to pay. The waiver closes that gap.

It is usually tied to uninsured motorist coverage. Depending on the state and insurer, it may come as part of UM coverage or be sold as an alternative to uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) for drivers who already carry collision. Conditions are typical: the other driver must be identified, usually by name or license plate, and must be both at fault and uninsured. A hit-and-run by an unknown driver generally does not qualify. Example: an identified uninsured driver runs a stop sign and causes $4,500 in damage to your car. Without the waiver, you pay your $1,000 deductible and collision pays $3,500. With it, collision pays the full $4,500 (hypothetical figures).

The phrase is sometimes used more loosely for other deductible waivers, such as for glass repair or under a disappearing deductible program, and it is different from a rental company's collision damage waiver. Check your declarations page for the exact coverage name. See do you pay a deductible if the accident was not your fault?.

Last reviewed October 4, 2026

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Related terms

Deductible The amount you pay toward a covered loss before your insurer pays the rest, set per claim for coverages like collision and comprehensive. Collision coverage Pays to repair or replace your own car after it hits another vehicle or object, or rolls over, regardless of fault, minus your deductible. Uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) Coverage that pays to repair your car when a driver with no insurance damages it, often with a small deductible and caps set by state law. Uninsured motorist coverage Coverage that pays injury costs for you and your passengers when a driver with no insurance, or a hit-and-run driver, causes the crash. Subrogation An insurer's right, after paying your claim, to recover that money from the party who caused the loss, often getting your deductible back too. Disappearing deductible An optional program that lowers your collision or comprehensive deductible by a set amount for each claim-free period, sometimes to zero.

Related guides

Collision coverage explained What collision coverage pays for, how the deductible and actual cash value limit your payout, and how to decide whether to keep it on an older car. How car insurance deductibles work A deductible is the part of a covered claim you pay before insurance pays the rest. Which coverages have one, how it is applied and when it is waived. Subrogation explained: how your insurer recovers your deductible How your insurer pays your claim, then pursues the at-fault driver to recover its money and your deductible, and what you must do to protect that recovery.