A Tree Falls on Your Car; Are You Covered?

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Your car is meant to be outdoors most of the time. But outdoors, there are plenty of hazards or threats that could damage your car at a moment’s notice. Among the most prevalent and common risk factors that might damage the vehicle are those posed by falling trees and limbs.

We all like to park in the shade, but by trying to keep the car cool, you could be exposing it to significant damage risks. Even in the calmest weather conditions, a tree (or part of the tree) could fall onto your vehicle. In the event, you will naturally want to have repairs made, and you might wonder whether your auto insurance will cover the costs of these services. How can you ensure that your plan will offer the appropriate benefits against falling limbs?

Falling trees and branches cause vehicle damage all the time. Therefore, car insurance will more than likely cover these losses. Depending on the nature accident, however, how insurance will pay might vary.

Tree Damage from Your Property
Most people can’t tell whether a tree is going to fall on their car. Of course, there are the obvious scenarios where an obviously dead tree might tumble down. However, even healthy trees and limbs could break at any moment—sometimes with no rhyme or reason. This might occur in good weather or bad, calm or windy conditions.

Because you generally cannot predict when a tree will fall, your auto insurance will often pay for the damage caused by the falling vegetation. However, certain restrictions might apply that will limit your ability to make a successful claim.

You must carry comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance to claim damage. Comprehensive insurance covers vehicle damage from non-accident hazards. Therefore, if a tree falls on your car (whether in a storm or good weather), it will be covered by this component of coverage. If you don’t have this coverage, you might not have protection.
Most physical damage coverage will include deductibles. The deductible is a set amount of money you must pay for vehicle damage before the policy pays. If damage costs don’t exceed the deductible, your policy will not pay for the damage. So, if a limb falls on your car and only causes $500 worth of damage, but you have a $1,000 deductible, then your plan will not pay.
Limits and exclusions exist on most policies. Some will not pay for damage from falling items. Other insurers will refuse to cover damage caused by limbs that fall from trees that are clearly dead, and that you have simply neglected to remove.

Pay close attention to whether your auto policy insures glass damage separately from body damage. If the glass sustains damage from a falling tree, then you might have to file a sub-claim under your class coverage, which is separate from comprehensive coverage.

If a tree or limb falls on your vehicle and causes obvious damage, don’t remove it yourself. Immediately call your car insurer. They’ll likely want you to take pictures of the damage, and work with an adjuster to document the claim.

Still, you should do all you can to prevent a tree from falling on your vehicle. Park in open areas whenever possible, and if you have a garage, then you should make use of it even in times of good weather. At minimum, don’t park under trees during times of high winds or severe storms. Plus, don’t forget to remove dead vegetation from your property as quickly as possible.

Tree Damage from Others
Trees are everywhere, and when one that sits on someone else’s property falls on your car, then it is your property that will sustain the damage. Still, because the cause of the damage—the tree—belonged to someone else, it is the other person’s insurance that will come into play.

A third party’s tree is their responsibility. Therefore, if the tree were to cause damage to your vehicle, then they might have to pay you for your losses. Under their property insurance, they usually have property damage liability insurance, which will cover damage to the property of others (in this case, your car).

So, suppose that a tree in front of a business falls on your car while you are inside shopping during a storm. At this point, their commercial property liability coverage will pay you for your property damage. Likewise, if a neighbor’s tree falls on your car while it is sitting in your own driveway, then it is their homeowners liability insurance that will pay for your losses.

Following damage, contact your insurance agent to find out if you have protection. Then, determine whose coverage needs to apply to the situation.

A Tree Falls on Your Car; Are You Covered?

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