Does Your Car Insurance Cover Animal Attack?

Case Scenario:

Ms.Sunaina purchased a brand new car on her anniversary and insured it with a well-known insurance company. She opted for comprehensive cover with all the necessary add-ons and paid the premium for one year period. She parked her car in front of her house; one street dog approached the car and started playing with the rubber part in the front bumper. The dog bit the rubber in the front bumper and pulled down the bumper causing the bumper to bend from its original position. After this, the dog went to sleep on the top of the car thereby causing a dent on top of the car.

Ms.Sunaina was shocked to see her car damaged in the morning and filed a claim with the insurance company seeking compensation. Her insurance company settled the claim under the comprehensive section of the policy. Not only dogs but there are many other animals which can cause damage to your include. These include goat/sheep, dogs, bovines, rats/rodents, etc.

What are the types of Damages that occur due to Animals?

Your car can get badly damaged after an animal attack and need immediate repair work. This might be caused due to an accident that ends up squashing your car, animal scratches on the exterior or interior of the car, or rodents finding your car wires to be a tasty meal.

In either case, comprehensive insurance allows you to cover the financial liabilities towards damage to the third-party, property, or your damage. An animal may cause various types of damage to your vehicle, which are:

• A pest or a rodent may chew on the wiring present in the engine compartment of your vehicle and damage it completely.
• A pet animal may completely damage the seats of your car by chewing on them and tearing them apart completely.
• A large animal may come charging toward your car in its bid to protect itself.
• An animal such as a cat or a rodent may enter the vehicle through the sunroof and cause interior damage.
• A rodent may have died inside your car causing a foul smell.
• Any injury caused to you due to an animal attack.

What is covered under “Animal Attack” in Car insurance?

Any damage to the car due to an animal attack such as a dog bite, or goat/sheep attack is covered under the comprehensive section of the insurance policy. The damage caused can be internal as well as external, sometimes when the animal gains entry into the car the damage can be internal and severe. The animal can gain entry into the car through an unattended door/window or sunroof and cause damage.

• Covers animal attacks that cause severe damages
• Covers animal collisions and window cracks
• Rodent or pests chewing up the circuit wiring in the engine compartment
• A large animal charging at the car
• Pets chewing up the seat covers or other interiors
• Animal scratches on the exterior of the car
• An animal enters the car via an unattended rolled-down window or sunroof and damages the interior and exterior of the car.

Steps to prevent “Animal Attack” on Car:

It might not be completely possible to eliminate the chance of animal attack but a few steps can be taken to prevent the animal attack on your vehicle. Taking a few precautions can reduce the risk of animal attacks on your vehicle.

1. Close windows and doors properly: Check twice for doors and windows before leaving your car unattended. Partially closed windows and doors provide an entry point to the animals thereby causing damage to your car.
2. Don’t store food inside the car: Food attracts animals, rodents, flies, and other types of pests. Hence it is advised to not store food in the car which can attract animals such as monkeys and rodents such as rats into the car.
3. Avoid Parking in open places: Cars parked in open places such as roads, or near drains are more susceptible to damage than those parked in garages and closed places. In open places, it is easy for animals and rodents to get access to your car and cause damage.
4. Comprehensive insurance: Having comprehensive insurance can help you a lot in case of animal damage to your car. Third party insurance doesn’t cover any damage to the vehicle.
5. Use car frequently: Not using your car frequently may cause it to turn into breeding place for rodents or animals. Rodents can also cause damage to the electric system of the car apart from damage to seats and other parts.
6. Stay Calm: One of the main reasons why animals are attacking a vehicle or person is because they can sense how you're feeling or if you're excited. This could scare the animal, making it defend and attack. Remain calm and keep your distance when you see an animal on the road. They could be startled to attack if they feel threatened, so it's best to just stay calm and wait for them to leave.
7. Use Animal Repellents: Several rat and pest repellents can be purchased. They might not be inexpensive, but they will protect your car from unwanted damage.
8. Get a Protective Cover or Hammock for Your Pet: To avoid pets chewing up the interior of your car, use a pet hammock. This will also keep them from wandering around inside the car and damaging it in any way.

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How do Animals Harm your Car?

Animal damage is a major problem for a lot of people. They can cause a lot of damage to your car and even make it impossible to insure. Many people have the misconception that cars are made of solid steel and are therefore immune to animal attacks. However, they can still cause a lot of damage!

• Shatter glass panes.
• Reversing camera
• airbag impact sensor
• Cruise control radar mounted in the engine bay or on the car body
• bend and bump plastic bumpers
• window pillar
• windscreens, and wiper blades
• electrical arcing
• interiors
• cushioning
• Plastics
• Seat covers.

How to File a Claim for Animal Attack in Car Insurance?

The Animal Attack cover is a type of comprehensive car insurance that covers the expenses for the car's crashes or damages caused by wild animals, pets, etc. The coverage includes the costs for repairing or replacing the car, as well as any other damages that occur to it. Drivers can buy this insurance from their car insurance company.

This type of cover is not common and only a few drivers know about its existence. It's important to know how to file a claim in case you need to use this type of cover, so we've included some tips on how to do it below:

Step 1: Contact your car insurance company and tell them what happened (i.e., your car is damaged by a wild animal). Provide them with all the details about your situation

Step 2: The first step is documenting all of the damage. Take photos of your vehicle that clearly show any visible damage have caused. Contact your insurance agent or company as soon as possible to get the claims process started.

Step 3: Next, the insurance company will either send a claims adjuster to your home or have you drive to a pre-approved auto body repair shop for a vehicle inspection. After your claim has been processed and approved, you'll be issued a check for the cost of repairs, or an approved mechanic will perform the necessary repairs. If your claim is denied, contact the insurance agent of the company.

Step 4: If you have a comprehensive policy with a high deductible, and your vehicle is still drivable, consider taking your car to a trusted mechanic for a quote on the repairs. If the cost of fixing your vehicle is less than the deductible on your policy, it may be best to bite the bullet and pay for the damage out-of-pocket.

Comprehensive Car Insurance Coverages:

The comprehensive one offers overall coverage including third-party liability coverage. So by paying a little higher premium, you can avail of better services. The advantages of comprehensive car insuranceare as follows:-

• Damage to the Car: repairing your car after it meets with an accident, is a pocket-draining matter. Sometimes it may affect your pre-planned budget badly. The huge repair bills can make a hole in your wallet. If partially damaged occurs, the insurer claims the expenses for repair. They can declare your vehicle as permanent damage if it is not repairable. In this case, you can ask for the claim for the insured value of the car.
• Disability or Death: Comprehensive policy offers protection to the damage to self in case of temporary or permanent disability post-accident. The accidental death of the insurance provider. Everyone is aware of the medical costs in such cases that may wipe off one’s lifetime savings.
• Third-party Liability Coverage: The comprehensive insurance policy is useful as it also offers protection to the third party against damages caused by the insured person. On the other hand, it benefits the insured by bearing the expenses of legal liabilities claimed by a third party, including injuries or death. However, we suggest you compare car insurance online to get the best deals.
• Access to many add-ons: You can customize your comprehensive plan further by getting add-ons such as Engine protection cover, fire cover, tyre cover, and so on.

Best Car Insurance Companies Offer Animal Attack Covers:

Conclusion:

To get the best protection for your car, it’s important to get the right level of insurance coverage. Regardless, there are other ways to protect your car from any harmful incidents. By doing everything you can to stop such an incident in the first place, you can avoid a whole lot of trouble. But in case something bad still happens, you can fall back on your insurance to look after you. After all, that’s exactly what it’s there for!

Thus it is always advisable to have a comprehensive or third-party insurance policy to cover your car from any liabilities arising out of any damage caused by an animal. Third party insurance policies do not generally cover attacks or damage caused by animals, hence it is always recommended to have a comprehensive insurance policy that protects you from such financial losses.