<p>FWIW, here’s what I think:</p>
<ol>
<li>Everyone should have “full glass” coverage (0 deductible) on their insurance. Then you don’t have to cringe every time a stone hits your windshield or you notice a crack.</li>
<li>The new windshield will probably cost less than the OP’s insurance deductible ($500) so the repair is all out of pocket.</li>
<li>I suspect the school also has a deductible on their insurance, and this is under it–so not covered by their insurance either.</li>
<li>Just because it’s an accident doesn’t mean the school (baseball team) isn’t legally liable. Circumstances: no posted warning, no waiver signed by the student, and parking spot assigned by the school.</li>
<li>Because it’s a “relatively” small amount, you certainly wouldn’t sue the school or involve lawyers. On the other hand, there is small claims court. This seems like a viable option if the school doesn’t make it right. This should not be done in a vindictive way, and could be a learning experience for your S (and I think the judge just may see it his way).</li>
<li>I think this is different than parking at a normal ball park, where risk is normally assumed by the parkee. The OP’s S parked there that day to attend school, not to watch a baseball game.</li>
</ol>
<p>I’m not for shirking responsibility or not facing the music, but I think the school bears more responsibility for this than the OP’s S–their baseball team directly caused the damage, whether an accident or not. They should pay for it (my opinion).</p>
<p>Reminds me of an incident when I was in college. A bunch of us were having a snowball fight. I threw a snowball that broke a dorm window (lounge). I had to pay for it. It was an accident, not intentional, but I was liable since I threw the snowball. Should the college have paid for it since students at colleges are known to throw a lot of snowballs? I wish.</p>