Natural disasters and their impact on car insurance Comprehensive coverage protects your car from damage caused by natural disasters and acts of force majeure, such as riots, theft and vandalism, as long as you have coverage before the damage occurs. It's the middle of the night. You hear a loud noise and the car alarm starts to sound. Unfortunately, your vehicle got in the way of the falling tree and caused significant damage.
It's often referred to as an “act of God” in auto insurance. The car is on his property and the tree posed no risk to anyone before the storm uprooted it. This is known as a fortuitous act and can often be covered with comprehensive coverage. When a tree on your property damages your vehicle and another on another property, your liability insurance may also cover the costs.
Yes, car insurance covers natural disasters that damage your vehicle while you're outside the state in which you reside. However, you'll still have to pay your deductible, and if the repairs exceed the value of the car, the insurer could declare the car as a total. Because hurricanes occur along the coast and reach inland areas, from Texas to Florida and even Maine, they are some of the most common natural disasters covered by car insurance. Yes, car insurance covers natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, hailstorms, earthquakes, floods and other weather-related events, which many also consider “fortuitous events,” as long as your policy includes comprehensive coverage.
While auto insurance generally covers these types of events with comprehensive coverage, homeowners insurance policies often exclude some or all of these “random acts.” While often rare and sometimes serious, damage caused by a lightning strike is also covered by comprehensive car insurance. Comprehensive coverage is one of the three pillars of auto insurance (liability, collision and comprehensive). If your car insurance meets or exceeds the value of your vehicle, you're probably okay with dropping comprehensive coverage. Car insurance works in a similar way whether you're at home, at the grocery store, or 1,000 miles away in another state.
If a windstorm hits your Volvo with a tree, your car insurance pays for repairs with comprehensive coverage, for example, “which covers sudden, direct and accidental damage to your vehicle that wasn't caused by a collision.” If you have adequate car insurance coverage for dents and broken windshields caused by a hailstorm, your insurance company will likely cover the damage after you've paid your deductible.
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