You’re questioning if automotive insurance coverage covers flood harm to your car. And, like most questions associated to auto insurance, the reply is considerably sophisticated. It relies on the kind of coverage you purchase.
At present, our workforce of licensed insurance coverage brokers is right here to elucidate when flood harm and water harm are coated by an auto insurance coverage coverage.
In the event you’re in a rush, know {that a} full protection auto coverage WILL virtually all the time cowl flood harm. And a liability-only coverage WILL NOT cowl flood harm.
In fact, there are extra particular factors and nuances to this query, so let’s dig into it somewhat deeper. Under, we’ll talk about factors like:
A Legal responsibility-Solely Coverage Will By no means Cowl Flood Injury
No liability-only coverage — the “naked minimal” policy required by your state — will cowl any form of flood or water harm. These kinds of auto insurance policies solely exist to guard you financially from harm you would possibly trigger to different folks or their property.
Relying in your state, you would possibly hear these insurance policies described as:
- Legal responsibility-only insurance policies
- PLPD insurance policies
- Minimal auto insurance coverage insurance policies
They assist to pay for harm you would possibly trigger to different automobiles, constructions, fences, folks and animals. However they’ll NOT pay for:
- Rain or hail harm to parked automotive
- Falling bushes or tree limbs
- Regional flooding related to hurricanes or tropical storms
So, which form of automotive insurance coverage do you want if you want for flood harm to be a covered peril? You want a full protection coverage, which incorporates complete insurance coverage.
What’s Complete Protection?
Complete protection protects your car from perils aside from collision.
As an example, complete protection will assist pay for damages brought on by:
- Hail
- Lightning strike
- Heavy rain
- Regional flooding
- Falling bushes
- Theft
- A storage that burns down
Collision protection is totally different. It pays for damages to your car brought on by any form of collision — or crash — whether or not you collide with a construction, one other car, or one thing else.
Now, let’s discover just a few methods your auto insurance coverage would possibly come into play when flooding or water harm are a problem.
Does Automobile Insurance coverage Cowl Injury Attributable to Regional Flooding?
A full protection coverage, one that features complete protection, will cowl harm brought on by regional flooding. Points like tropical storms, hurricane flooding, thunderstorms and lightning strikes are all coated.
Ought to I Purchase a Full Protection Auto Insurance coverage Coverage if I’m Involved About Flood Injury?
In the event you dwell in a flood zone, or should you’re fearful about flood harm to your car, you’ll most likely sleep higher at evening with a full protection coverage.
As an example, should you dwell in Jacksonville, FL you face an annual hurricane season. It’s sensible to keep up a full protection auto insurance coverage coverage, even should you personal your car outright and don’t make a automotive fee. You’ll relaxation straightforward understanding your car is roofed in case of a flood or different harm brought on by hurricane winds, fallen tree limbs, flying particles or torrential rainfall.
Additionally, know that your lienholder could require you to keep up a full protection auto coverage when you’re making funds in your automotive. This protects the financial institution, credit score union or different monetary establishment from harm brought on by hurricanes, floods, theft and so forth. In fact, you’ll nonetheless be required to pay a deductible when making a declare.
Understanding Water Injury Automobile Insurance coverage Claims
We’ll use just a few tales right here as an instance water harm automotive insurance coverage claims. First, let’s think about a younger, married man named Darryl. He lives in Miami, FL and owns just a few automobiles.
Darryl and the Hurricane Flood Injury
Darryl’s every day driver is an older Honda Accord, valued at $3,000, which he owns outright. And he makes funds on a brand-new minivan for the household, he nonetheless owes about $20,000 on the van, but it surely’s value about $30,000.
Darryl has full protection insurance policies for each automobiles, with a deductible of $1,000 on every coverage.
An enormous hurricane strikes Miami. Darryl’s complete neighborhood is flooded with two ft of water. Each automobiles are soaked via. The inside of each automobiles is ruined, and all of the computer systems and superb know-how within the new minivan is trashed.
Darryl contacts his auto insurance coverage supplier to position a declare for each automobiles. We’ll think about it’s a serious insurance coverage firm, Farmers Insurance coverage.
Farmers Insurance coverage is conscious of the hurricane, they’ve been taking claims calls all day. They ask Darryl for some data, resembling:
- The coverage numbers
- Automobile Identification Numbers (VINs) for each automobiles
- Cellular phone photographs and descriptions of the harm
Inside just a few days, a claims adjuster visits Darryl to entry the harm. The adjuster decides that each automobiles have to be “totaled.” In different phrases, it might value extra to repair the automobiles than what they’re value. Each autos are towed away to a junk yard.
The insurance coverage claims adjuster will now write just a few checks. First, he writes a examine for the outdated Accord, for $2,000. (That’s the worth of the car much less the $1,000 deductible.)
Then, Farmers Insurance coverage pays off the $20,000 stability on the minivan and cuts one other examine for Darryl of $9,000. (That’s what’s as a result of Darryl, after his $1,000 deductible is paid.)
Because of his insurance coverage insurance policies, Darryl now has $11,000 to spend as he sees match. He can put that cash down on a brand new car, purchase some used vehicles, or lease a car.
Subsequent, let’s take into consideration Darryl’s neighbor, Stacey.
Stacey Has a Legal responsibility-Solely Coverage
Stacey is nineteen, and lives together with her mother and father, subsequent door to Darryl. Her 1997 Toyota Corolla is parked within the driveway when the hurricane strikes. The Toyota is valued at about $900, and since this car isn’t value a lot, Stacey has legal responsibility protection solely.
When the flood strikes, her automotive can be ruined. However Stacey can’t get any funds from her insurance coverage firm, as a result of she didn’t have full protection. Stacey might want to pay a tow firm to come back retrieve the automotive and take it to a junkyard.
Nonetheless, Stacey has saved cash with a PLPD coverage. Full protection would have value her greater than the automotive was value yearly, and the payout (much less a deductible) for her totaled car wouldn’t be value a lot in any respect.
Now, let’s think about one other state of affairs down the street, when a legal responsibility coverage would possibly pay for water harm.
Saul Has an Accident on I-95
One other neighbor, Saul, is driving dwelling from work when the hurricane hits Miami. He drives an costly Lexus value $100,000. He owns this automotive outright and maintains full protection insurance coverage on it, with a $1,000 deductible.
Saul cautiously pulls over on Interstate 95 to attend out the storm. However one other driver on I-95 is driving too quick for the situations, loses management and strikes the Lexus, which flips into the ditch. The ditch is rapidly filling with water, however fortunately, Saul is unhurt and capable of exit the automotive rapidly.
This water harm declare might be extra sophisticated. Saul’s insurance coverage firm will probably whole out the Lexus after which sue the opposite driver’s insurance coverage in a course of referred to as subrogation. Saul walks away with a examine for $99,000.
Now that we’ve coated some doable conditions the place automotive insurance coverage covers flood or water harm, let’s reply the most typical questions we get requested about insurance coverage and water harm.
Is There a Particular Flood Coverage for Autos?
No. As of 2023, there isn’t any particular flood insurance coverage coverage for autos in any US state. In case you have complete insurance coverage, typically referred to as a “new automotive” package deal, or a “full protection coverage,” water harm is roofed. This does embody water harm from rain, hurricanes, tropical storms and so forth.
The great portion of your auto coverage will even cowl issues like fallen tree limbs, flying trash cans, or different wind-driven particles.
In case you have a legal responsibility coverage, nonetheless, your insurance coverage won’t cowl flood, rain, or touring trash cans.
Does Automobile Insurance coverage Cowl Minor Water Injury?
It would, however it’s possible you’ll be sensible to keep away from making a declare.
Let’s think about one other frequent, however sophisticated, scenario. You personal a 2020 Mazda 3. You’re nonetheless making funds on this car, and your financial institution requires you to maintain full protection auto insurance coverage with a $1,000 deductible.
You’re flying out of city for a enterprise assembly, and also you park your Mazda within the airport car parking zone for 3 days. However you neglect to roll the home windows up, and a thunderstorm rolls into city.
Once you get again out of your journey, you uncover your seats are soaking moist. There’s additionally a robust musty, mildew odor in your Mazda. All of the know-how appears to work, and also you drive your automotive dwelling.
Your full protection coverage ought to cowl this water harm. Nevertheless, skilled cleansing and restoration of your automotive will probably value lower than your deductible.
On this case, it makes extra sense to pay for skilled restoration out of pocket and go away the insurer out of it. In any other case, you’ll create a claims historical past along with your insurer, and it solely takes just a few claims for an insurer to boost your charges. In spite of everything, you’ll find yourself paying for the cleansing service both method, as a result of your deductible is $1,000.
Even when the restoration value is a little more than your deductible, say $1,200, it’d make sense to pay for these repairs by yourself. That is very true if you have already got claims or accidents in your file.
Your finest plan of action is to get a quote for water harm restoration first after which determine from there if it’s value contacting your insurer.
Does Automobile Insurance coverage Cowl Water Injury Attributable to Driving Via Water?
There isn’t a straightforward reply to this query. Your auto insurance coverage firm expects you to behave as an affordable driver. In different phrases, if a hurricane is coming your method, it’s best to keep away from driving. And in case your space has endured main, unprecedented flooding, it’s sensible to keep away from flooded streets.
Flood harm will wreak havoc in your car.
In 2023, California endured uncommon atmospheric rivers, unprecedented precipitation and unbelievable flooding, which got here after 10 years of drought. Many CA drivers had little expertise driving in these situations, and lots of made poor decisions about driving via operating water or flooded streets.
Costly auto accidents occurred, folks suffered private accidents and bodily hurt, and auto insurance coverage suppliers are left paying the payments.
Then, different drivers made the reckless option to exit and discover flooded areas and abuse their automobiles on function.
So, will your auto insurance coverage coverage pay for water harm to your car in case you are driving irresponsibly via flooded streets? That relies on your coverage, your state and native legal guidelines, your claims historical past and your insurance coverage firm. Our recommendation? Don’t danger it!
Do You Want Auto Insurance coverage? We Can Assist
At Einsurance.com, our mission is to match shoppers with the insurance coverage insurance policies they want. In the event you want auto insurance coverage, whether or not it’s a liability-only coverage, a quote for insurance on a new car, or conventional full protection, we might help.
Collect the next paperwork and discover our web site for quick quotes on reasonably priced insurance coverage.
- VIN data
- Driver’s license quantity
- Garaging tackle
- Common annual mileage and odometer readings
- Authorized names and birthdates of any drivers in your family
And keep in mind, should you’re fearful about flood harm, water harm or related perils, you should definitely point out it when getting your quotes.
And when you’re at it, you should definitely take into consideration saving cash on property insurance coverage, renters insurance coverage, time period life insurance coverage insurance policies and extra. We have now all of it, and we’re right here for you.
