Car insurance pays for a lot of damages that you might not expect.
Some of these odd sources of damage are only insured by comprehensive coverage
, but a surprising number are actually covered by liability insurance
or collision coverage
. Even if the damages to your car seem odd, they might be covered by your car insurance
. And if they're not, it's not the end of the world. You can always find a better deal for you by using the Jerry
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Damage from rats or mice
The next time you put your keys in the ignition and your car won’t start because a rat or mouse chewed through the wiring, call your car insurance provider. If you have comprehensive coverage, the damage should be covered.
This damage can come from mice chewing through wiring, but you should also check your filters for damage. Mice may even stink up your car with a dead animal smell
if they die in your car. Damage from an 'Act of God'
If your vehicle is damaged by an "Act of God," comprehensive coverage will pay for the damages.
"Acts of God" are basically any sort of natural disaster, such as hail
, earthquakes, forest fires, floods
, or other unexpected events outside of human control. Did you know that damage from space debris falling from the sky is also covered by your comprehensive car insurance? If your car is hit by a wayward piece of a satellite or a meteor, call your insurance provider. There are plenty of examples
of this happening. Damage from an animal
Typically, car insurance does cover animal damage. If you run into a deer on the road, the damages will be covered by your car insurance as long as you have comprehensive coverage. This is one of those unfortunate but fairly common causes of vehicle damage.
More unusual animal damage is covered, too. Did you know that damage from a bear breaking into your car when you park it to go hiking is also covered? There are lots of weird animal damages that can be sorted—just check with your insurance provider.
Damage to other people’s personal property
If your personal property is damaged or stolen while it's in your car, your car insurance won’t cover it. However, if somebody else’s personal property is damaged or stolen while it’s in your car, it’s covered.
This is true even if you only have liability insurance. You see, you are technically liable for the loss, so your liability insurance will cover it. By the same token, if your personal property is damaged in an accident that is the other driver’s fault, their insurance should cover it.
Damage from hitting a pothole
If your car sustains damage from hitting a pothole or many potholes repeatedly, your car insurance will pay for the repairs. This type of damage is actually covered under your collision insurance.
Your insurance provider will consider this an "at-fault" event; however, it should be covered. If your insurance provider tries to use it as an excuse to jack up your rates, you may want to consider changing providers. Depending on where you live, potholes can be inevitable.
Finding the right car insurance
If your current car insurance provider tries to raise your rates unfairly, or if you simply want to find the best deal on car insurance, don't hesitate to shop around and switch insurers
. If you don't want to go through the trouble of switching providers yourself, give car insurance
comparison and broker app Jerry
a try. After providing you with a comprehensive cross-analysis of the best policies across providers, Jerry will handle the phone calls, paperwork, and renewals for your top pick so that you don’t have to. They even help cancel your old policy! So why do all that extra work when Jerry can do it better?