If you’ve ever driven through a forest at dusk, you may have seen a deer on the road. These unexpected situations aren’t always avoidable, and accidents happen. When you’ve damaged your vehicle in a collision like this, determining if your insurance will cover it depends on your insurance coverage.
While having car insurance is required by your state, the type of insurance you choose determines which protections you have. Learn more about what your insurance policy covers outside of collisions and how to file a claim should you experience the unexpected deer or other animal darting in front of you.
- Comprehensive car insurance covers “other than collision” damages, such as hitting a deer, broken windshields, stolen vehicles and hail storms.
- Liability insurance will cover the damages for others if you’re at-fault in an accident but provides no coverage for your vehicle or injuries.
- Understanding your insurance coverage is essential to determine if adding comprehensive coverage to your policy is a good idea.
Will car insurance pay if I hit a deer?
It depends. Comprehensive car insurance coverage, also known as “other than collision” coverage, protects against damage to your vehicle that’s not caused by typical collisions. This includes natural disasters, like hurricanes and flooding, theft, vandalism, fire and animal strikes. If you have comprehensive insurance and hit a deer or other animal, it will pay for vehicle up to the cash value of your car minus your deductible.
Comprehensive coverage can be purchased separately, or with collision insurance coverage — which comprises full coverage insurance. This type of insurance will also cover damages from a collision with an animal.
However, if you have only liability insurance coverage, your policy won’t cover an animal collision. This is because this coverage type only covers damages and injuries to other drivers. Your vehicle damage would need to be paid out of pocket.
What kind of insurance covers a cracked windshield?
Similar to colliding with an animal, when you get a crack in your windshield, the type of insurance you have comes into play. Comprehensive insurance covers glass damage and you can only file a claim to fix your windshield if you carry this coverage.
However, comprehensive coverage comes with a deductible, so it might not be worth it to file a comprehensive claim for a cracked windshield.
Full glass coverage may be available in some states as part of your comprehensive coverage or in addition to it, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III). With full glass coverage, you may not have to pay a deductible for the windshield’s repair.
What happens if you’re in an accident with an uninsured driver?
When an accident happens, it’s natural to presume the other driver will have insurance — after all, it’s required in all states but New Hampshire. But this isn’t always the case. It’s important to understand your insurance policy in case the other driver doesn’t have coverage. If you have uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage, it will pay for your medical bills if an uninsured driver hits you. In some states, you can also obtain uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) that will pay for damage to your vehicle.
However, typically, UMPD coverage has low limits so if you have collision coverage, it is advised that you carry that and skip UMPD unless you’re required by law to have it on your policy. Some states require drivers to buy uninsured motorist coverage; in others, it is optional.
Uninsured motorist insurance is usually sold in the amount that matches your liability insurance limits. Liability insurance pays for damage you cause to other vehicles and property. For example, if you bought a policy with $50,000 per person bodily injury liability coverage, up to $100,000 per accident, you should buy uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UMBI) in the same amounts.
Am I covered if I hit another car?
There may be a time when you’re involved in an at-fault accident. Under these circumstances, if you hit another car, your liability insurance (the portion for property damage) pays for the damage to the other car or property. Liability insurance would also pay for injuries you cause under the bodily injury portion unless you live in a no-fault state, in which case each individual’s personal injury protection policy would pay out.
On average, liability insurance costs, $644 annually for the following limits: 50/100/50 which includes $50,000 per person, $100,000 maximum per accident for bodily injury, and $50,000 for property damage. For comparison, full coverage, including comprehensive and collision, costs an average of $1,895 annually.
Liability insurance does not pay for damage to your vehicle. If you hit a vehicle and your car is damaged, you must have collision insurance to file a claim to help pay to fix it. How much car insurance goes up after an accident depends on your driving record, insurance company and other factors.
What insurance covers me if another car hits mine?
Typically, if another driver hits your car, they’re responsible for damages and injuries. The other driver’s insurance would pay for damage to your vehicle and your medical expenses if you claim the at-fault driver’s liability coverages.
You can also use your collision coverage for the damage to your car. However, you would have to pay the associated deductible. Also, if you are in a no-fault state, your injuries would be claimed under your personal injury protection coverage
Is hitting a parked car considered an accident?
Parking lot accidents happen more often than you may think. According to a National Safety Council study, 66% of drivers make phone calls while driving through a parking lot and 56% text. Distracted driving can be a big contributing factor in hitting parked vehicles.
If you’ve hit a parked vehicle, it is considered an accident. You should report the incident to your insurance company and leave a note with your name and phone number if you leave before the other driver arrives. Failure to do so is considered a hit-and-run incident.
If you hit a parked car, your liability property damage insurance would pay for the damage you caused. Collision coverage would also pay for the damage to your car if you carry this optional coverage.
Will my insurance cover me if I hit a pole?
Not all collision accidents involve vehicles and animals. They can also include property damages to structures, like fences, houses, potholes, barriers, mailboxes and light poles.
For example, you may be driving in the rain when you lose control of your vehicle and it collides with a pole. The damages to your vehicle should be covered by your collision insurance policy. Filing a claim with your insurance company after the incident is essential to ensure you don’t have to pay out of pocket for damages.
Is hail damage covered under car insurance?
Some storms can wreak havoc on your vehicle. In some parts of the country, hail storms can produce baseball-sized balls that significantly damage vehicles and property. However, not all hail damage is covered by all car insurance policies. Hail damage to your car is covered under comprehensive insurance. You must have the optional coverage before your vehicle sustains any damage.
What does insurance cover if your car is stolen?
There’s nothing more shocking than discovering your car has been stolen. After filing a police report, the next step is finding out what your insurance will cover. If you have a comprehensive car insurance policy, it will pay up to the actual cash value of your car minus your deductible. Actual cash value isn’t what you paid for your car. Unfortunately, liability insurance policies don’t cover stolen vehicle claims.
Am I covered if my friend got into an accident with my car?
It’s easy to pass your vehicle’s keys over to another person to drive. Whether you’re on a road trip with a friend or they ask to borrow your car, once they’re behind the wheel and involved in an accident, you’re going to need to know what your insurance company will cover.
If you have insurance on your vehicle and allow a friend to drive it, damage from an accident would normally be covered under your policy. However, before loaning out your vehicle make certain your car insurance policy extends coverage to permissive drivers. Some cheap policies come with certain restrictions, such as only covering named drivers (meaning those listed on the policy).
Will my car insurance cover me if I hit my spouse’s car in the driveway?
Accidents can happen anywhere, including in your driveway. If you happen to hit your spouse’s vehicle, you can claim damages on both vehicles if you both have collision coverage. Unless your insurer waives a deductible, you would owe two, one for each car.
However, your auto insurance liability coverage does not cover damage done by members of your household so it could not be used. In this type of situation, unless the damage were severe, it would likely be better not to inform your insurer and pay out of pocket for the repairs for each vehicle. That saves you dual deductibles and a potential rate hike for two claims.
— Katrina Raenell contributed to this story.
Source
- Insurance Information Institute. “What is covered by a basic auto insurance policy.” Accessed August 2024.
- National Safety Council. “Distraction can often cause parking lot injuries.” Accessed August 2024.
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