Animal damage car insurance

When you went to get your car insurance, did you ask if there was protection against damage caused by animals?

Probably most people don't think about this hypothesis, after all, what damage could an animal cause? Imagine that you are driving in the city and you see a dog in the middle of the street, it is common for people to stop the vehicle until it moves out of the way, however this is not always possible and when trying to avoid it they end up colliding with a pole . In these situations, the data will probably be classified as a collision and will be paid for by insurance.

But what if it hits the dog and dents your car? Or worse, if you are in the middle of the road and end up running over a horse, in which case the damage could be even greater. The truth is that animals can cause different damages to the vehicle and these are not always linked to accidents. It could be, for example, that a cat enters your house and scratches all the car bodywork.

When it's your pet, there's not much you can do other than scold him. If it belongs to someone else, it is possible to file a lawsuit against the owner so that they pay for the damage, but it can take a long time until a court decision is reached.

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How to protect yourself from damage caused by animals

But is there any way to protect yourself against this type of problem? Although it is not very common, some insurance companies have several extra coverages, including the one that repairs the vehicle in cases where the damage was caused by animals.

Those who opt for it will certainly end up paying a higher price, but for those who travel on roads where there are many animals or live in rural areas, this can be essential. If your insurer does not offer this option, see what collision protection covers, this must be specified in the policy and if there is no information, ask your broker.

Now, if during an accident the animal was inside the vehicle and was injured, you will not find insurance for animal passengers. There is only one insurance for passengers, but it only covers people and aims to cover medical expenses that may occur. If you want to protect your pet, you will need to take out life or assistance insurance for it, in which case it will have nothing to do with vehicle insurance.