There are several types of common instances such as theft, accidents, fire explosion, lightening, etc. which can cause severe damage to your car, but there is also a possibility of damage to your car if you happen to be attacked by animals when you are driving. Well, it may sound bizarre but the fact is that there are animals who don’t understand traffic and vehicle and in that case any attack by them can cause severe damage to your car. At this time, the question arises that is animal attack covered under your car insurance policy?
What are the common types of damages to the vehicle due to animals?
Cover Animal Attacks: In India you don’t need to visit a zoo as half the animals like dogs, cats, cows, bulls, pigs, donkeys, goats, monkeys can be easily spotted everywhere and anywhere on the road. Sometimes, it may happen that you have parked your car for long hours and an animal may attack your car causing severe dents and damages to your car.
Cover Animal Collision: This is one of the most common types of animal damage which can happen to your vehicle. Animal collisions are very common when you are driving on highways and sometimes the damages to the car due to such collisions can be huge. A bird colliding in the windscreen and resulting in a crack is another very common type of collision.
Cover for Damage due to Rodents and Pests: Sometimes, you may not be able to see any visible damage to your car from the outside, but there could be internally damages such as chewed wirings by rodents or a dead animal stuck in the engine etc. which can hamper the operation of your vehicle.
Cover for Internal Damage: Pet animals too can damage the upholstery of your car by chewing it or tearing it up.
Is animal attack covered under your Car Insurance policy?
Well, if the list above is making you worry and you are wondering is your car insurance cover animal attack? the answer is yes, it does if you have the right type of car insurance policy.
Car insurance policies are pretty complicated and in order to ensure that you suffer minimum damage if you ever need to make claims, it is essential to understand what kind of coverage your car insurance policy offers.
Broadly, a car insurance policy consists of third party car insurance cover and own damages cover. While the third party cover is compulsory for each and every vehicle owner, the own damage cover is optional. A Policy which have third party cover and own damage cover is known as comprehensive policy. A comprehensive car insurance policy will cover the vehicle in every way if there is any damage to your car due to any man-made activity, natural calamity or collision. Even though the premium is higher, and it is not mandatory to buy comprehensive plan but it is always advisable to go for a comprehensive policy in order to protect yourself from suffering financial damages later.
How to claim car insurance in case of animal attack?
If there has been any damage to the vehicle due to an animal attack it is important that you file a claim with the insurance company at the earliest. Once you file a claim, the insurance company will send a surveyor to inspect the vehicle damaged from animal attack and confirm the same to the company and the claim would be settled provided you have a comprehensive car insurance policy. In case of total damage to the car, the insurance company will pay the Insured Declared Value of the vehicle after making the necessary deductions.
Conclusion
So, in order to answer the question: Is animal attack covered under your Car Insurance policy? one needs to understand all the possibilities and damages that can be caused by animal attack! There are multiple types of damages which can be caused to your car by animals and in order to ensure that you do not have to pay for such damages it is important that you opt for a comprehensive insurance policy for your car so as to avoid paying out of your pocket in any such situation.