Does Your Insurance Protect You When You Hit a Deer?
Accidents involving animals, particularly deer, are more common than many drivers realize. Knowing how your car insurance handles these types of incidents is essential to ensure you're adequately covered. Here’s an overview of how insurance works when you hit a deer and what steps to take after the accident.
If you have comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance policy, you’re likely covered for hitting a deer or other animals. Comprehensive coverage protects your vehicle from non-collision incidents, such as damage from animals, weather, theft, and vandalism. However, it’s an optional coverage, so if you only have liability insurance, damage from hitting a deer won’t be covered.
How Other Than Collision Coverage Works for Deer Accidents
When you hit a deer, the damage to your vehicle falls under comprehensive coverage. This coverage applies whether you hit the animal or the animal hits you. For example:
You hit a deer on the road. Your comprehensive insurance will cover the damage.
An animal runs into your car. If an animal collides with your parked or moving vehicle, your comprehensive policy will likely cover it.
Other animal-related damage. Other Than Collision coverage can even cover bizarre situations, like a raccoon damaging your seats or rodents chewing through your car's wiring.
Collision vs. Other Than Collision(OTC) Coverage
While Other Than Collision, known as comprehensive, covers damage from hitting animals, if you swerve to avoid hitting a deer and collide with another vehicle, object, or overturn your car, that would fall under collision coverage. Collision coverage deals with damage resulting from a direct impact with other cars or objects, while comprehensive handles non-collision incidents.
Are Injuries Covered After Hitting a Deer?
If you or your passengers are injured in a deer-related accident, the cost of medical care would not be covered by your comprehensive policy. Instead, you’ll need to rely on medical payments coverage or personal injury protection (PIP), if those coverages are included in your auto insurance policy. Additionally, your health insurance may cover some of the medical expenses.
How Deer Accidents Affect Your Premium
Whether or not your insurance rates increase after hitting a deer depends on your insurance provider and state regulations. In some states, your rates won’t increase because hitting a deer is considered a non-fault accident. However, it’s essential to check with your insurer to understand their specific policies.
What to Do After Hitting a Deer
If you hit a deer, follow these steps to ensure your safety and manage the claims process:
Move your vehicle to safety if possible.
Turn on your hazard lights and stay in the vehicle until it's safe to exit.
Call the police to report the accident, especially if the deer is blocking the road.
Document the accident, taking pictures of the damage, surroundings, and the animal.
Contact your insurance provider to file a claim.
Check your car for any issues that might make it unsafe to drive, such as fluid leaks or broken lights. If necessary, call for roadside assistance or towing if your car is not safe to operate.
How to Avoid Hitting a Deer
Stay alert in areas marked for deer crossings. These areas are often indicated by signs.
Use your high beams at night when appropriate, as the light can reflect off a deer’s eyes, making them easier to spot.
Slow down if you see a deer, as they often travel in groups, and others may follow closely behind.
By understanding how your insurance covers deer-related accidents and knowing what to do after such an incident, you can protect yourself and your vehicle from costly damages.
