A car is an expensive purchase, which is why we want to do everything we can to make sure we don’t suffer a total loss if it ever gets damaged. One of the easiest ways that most people go about doing this is by purchasing car insurance.
While most people think of car accidents when talking about car insurance, there are other ways that your car can get damaged. So, what happens if a tree falls on your car? As crazy as it may sound, this is a common and sometimes inevitable occurrence.
If you only have liability insurance on your policy, the damages to your car will not be covered. However, there are many different types of insurance coverages.
Continue reading to find out how you can ensure you’re covered if a tree falls on your car.
If A Tree Falls On My Car, What Will My Insurance Cover?
Typically, if a tree falls on your car, you would be responsible for the damages. Because a tree falling on your car is not considered a car accident, your liability insurance would not cover this. However, if you have comprehensive coverage, your insurance would cover this incident and you would only be responsible for paying a deductible.
Comprehensive coverage is not typically a state requirement and is considered optional, but many car dealerships will require you to add comprehensive coverage to your policy if you are financing or leasing a car with them.
Comprehensive car insurance covers is a type of insurance that will cover the damages done to your car as a result of a non-accident related cause. Some of these covered causes will include:
- Theft.
- Vandalism.
- Fire.
- Riots.
- Glass and windshield damage.
- Falling trees or other objects.
- Rocks or other objects that are kicked up on the road by another vehicle.
- Bad weather such as storms, hail, winds, floods, and earthquakes.
- Getting into an accident with an animal.
If you are driving in the mountains and hit a deer, your comprehensive coverage would likely cover any of the damages inflicted due to this incident. However, if you are driving and try to avoid hitting the deer, only to instead hit a tree, you would need collision insurance to cover this accident.
Let’s say your neighbor’s tree falls on your car. There’s a chance that you could prove negligence on your neighbor’s end, but if you cannot, you will likely get stuck with the bill.
It’s not easy to prove negligence, but you might be able to build a case if:
- The tree was dead or obviously rotting.
- You had already asked your neighbor to get rid of the tree.
- You previously received a recommendation from a tree specialist.
What Happens If A Tree Falls On My Car While I’m Driving?
If you are driving down the road and a tree falls on your car while you are moving, this is not considered a car accident and your comprehensive coverage will likely still cover it. On the other hand, if you are driving down the road and you hit a tree that has already fallen into the road, you will most likely need collision coverage for this.
The key difference here is that if the tree falls on your car, it’s not something that you could have really avoided. But if you are to hit a fallen tree on the road, it’s widely considered avoidable, which is why it would fall into the collision category.
What To Do If A Tree Falls On Your Car
A tree falling on your car would be an unfortunate experience. If this happens to you, you will want to act fast. Take several pictures of the damage from all angles and start the process of filing an insurance claim immediately. Generally speaking, you will only be responsible for paying the deductible on your comprehensive coverage policy and your insurance will pay the rest.