What should I know about animal damage and car insurance?

Answer by  Keith (130)

A rule of thumb is, if a dog off a lead causes damage to your car, then the owner of the dog is liable and should pay for the damage. You can go through your insurance to make the claim if the owner of the dog does not have insurance.

Answer by  patti (29325)

There are different types of coverage. A comprehensive policy would cover damage to the car by other vehicles, fallen trees, flood, animals, etc. if this is specified in the policy with no language to disallow it. Deductibles would apply as per the policy. Review the policy or if writing a new one, make sure it has the coverage you want.

Answer by  J65 (65)

Animal damage is covered by most insurance companies. It always depends on your insurance provider and how the damage occured, but generally it works the same. Hitting a wall and a deer are the same thing to the insurance company. It's just a matter of if it's worth filing a claim for such damage.

Answer by  jny (20)

Contact with an animal is not considered collision coverage under a standard auto insurance policy. It is considered OTC Other Than Collision or what is termed comprehensive insurance. This typically has a smaller deductible than collision coverage. This applies to both personal insurance as well as commercial auto insurance policies.

Answer by  Rubberchicken (819)

If you carry comprehensive coverage, known as 'other than collision' on some policies, you are covered, subject to deductible amount, for any damage causes to your car by an animal.