Will insurance pay storm damage to your car?
With all of the recent storms raging across Florida, it's probable many of your friends and family are dealing with varying levels of damage.
While we tend to think about flooding coverage for our home - what about your vehicle?
What if you discover a tree limb has crashed on your car due to the storm winds? Or, what if your car is full of water because of cascading floodwaters?
Will your auto insurance cover the damage?
Check your auto policy and see if you have comprehensive coverage.
Based on a 2012 analysis by the Insurance Information Institute, 77 percent of insured drivers purchased comprehensive coverage in addition to liability insurance.
If your policy includes comprehensive coverage, you'll most likely get some type of reimbursement.
So what's the difference between comprehensive coverage versus liability insurance?
- Comprehensive coverage is an optional coverage and is also the only type of insurance that will cover damage that is not collision-related (such as theft, glass breakage and fire, but also damages due to flood waters, hail and other natural occurrences.) For example, a comprehensive policy will cover a crack in your windshield from a rock or body damage from a falling tree.
Exact perils covered by comprehensive coverage vary by carriers. If you have this coverage, you'll need to ask your agent about specifics.
- Liability insurance is required for licensed drivers in all 50 states; and depending on your state, you may need to carry several types of liability insurance.
Liability insurance is the basic insurance coverage that covers injuries or damage to other people or property if you're at fault for an accident.
When a storm is developing, it's important to keep track of the National Hurricane Center warnings as they can affect restrictions insurers place on new or existing policies.
These restrictions can vary by state, but typically include not accepting applications for new coverage and not accepting requests for additional physical damage coverage's, increased limits, or the lowering of deductibles on existing policies.
If you have additional questions about auto insurance coverage's like comprehensive insurance and collision insurance, contact the Pettineo Insurance Agency at 954-493-9424.
Pettineo Insurance Agency Inc. provides coverage in Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, North Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Oakland Park, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Hollywood, Sunrise, Coral Springs, Pembroke Pines, Sunrise, Tamarac, Plantation, Lighthouse Point and all of Florida.
