Does Your Car Insurance Cover Vehicle-Deer Collisions?

If you’ve recently been involved with a collision caused by a darting deer, you’re not alone. Car insurance companies are seeing a significant increase in the number of claims being filed due to vehicle-deer collisions. Between the years 2008-2010 State Farm reported 2.3 million deer- vehicle related collisions. Most accidents are more likely to occur during mating season which happens between the months of October and December.

A growing deer population combined with the encroachment of urban residences into the animal’s natural habitat is to blame for the rise in accidents. In fact, according to the Insurance Information Institute each year collisions involving deer and vehicles total more than 1.6 million. Over the past five years motorists throughout the United States have driven less miles by 2%, however, the total of collisions involving deer has risen 20%. So, if you’re included in the statistics, will your car insurance policy cover the damage?

Repairing the damage to your vehicle usually isn’t cheap. An individual average car insurance claim to repair damages is $3,100, with annual damages totaling $3.6 million. Not only do the accidents result in vehicle property damage, but are also responsible for 200 deaths and thousands of injuries.


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Which Car Insurance Policies Won’t Cover Vehicle-Deer Collisions

Unless you specifically ask your car insurance agent which policies cover deer-vehicle collisions or read your current policy with a magnifying glass, then you may erroneously assume that you’re covered. However, not all auto insurance policies are the same.

As attractive as the monthly premiums appear for liability car insurance, it’s important to know exactly what coverage you have before an accident occurs. If you only carry a liability-only policy, then expect to pay any vehicle property damages out of your own pocket. In addition to being responsible le for covering your vehicle cost, there’s also a chance you’ll be responsible for paying for any medical expenses related to the mishap.

A common misnomer is that a collision car insurance policy will cover vehicle-deer collisions; however, if you read your policy carefully you’ll discover insurance companies don’t define such mishaps as a collision. If you swap dents with another vehicle or back over your neighbor’s mailbox collision coverage pays for damages. Unfortunately, however, if you collide with a deer, a collision policy isn’t very helpful in covering repairing damages to your vehicle.

Collision Car Insurance: The Safest Bet

To ensure that you’re safely covered for damages occurred in the event of a collision with a deer, you should consider opting for comprehensive car insurance coverage. It’s also known as “Other Than Collision.” While the collision portion of the policy won’t pay for damages, comprehensive coverage protects drivers from numerous “other than collision” scenarios.
If you have questions about your current car insurance coverage, and if you’re protected in the event of a deer or any other wildlife colliding into your vehicle, contact your insurance agent.

Car Insurance References:

http://www.thetruthaboutinsurance.com/deer-vehicle-collisions-total-more-than-1-6-million-per-year/

http://www.thetruthaboutinsurance.com/deer-insurance/

http://compare-insurance-car.com

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