How Does Auto Insurance Handle Deer Accidents?

The fall is the most common time for people to experience car crashes involving deer. Deer tend to run out aimlessly onto roads, and they appear so quickly that it makes it hard for cars to avoid hitting them. If you ever get in an accident that involves a deer, there are several things you should understand about the way your auto insurance company will handle the claim.

Comprehensive insurance covers deer accidents

The first thing to understand is that it is comprehensive insurance that covers deer accidents. If your policy only offers collision coverage, you are probably out of luck if you struck a deer that left your car mangled up. If you have comprehensive insurance, then there is a good chance your insurance company will compensate you for the damages.

Things you must do after the accident occurs 

When you hit a deer, it is very important to contact the police to get the accident documented. Failing to do this may make it harder to file a claim later on. With a police report, you will have the evidence you need to prove that you hit a deer, and the report will state the facts about the case, including the location, time, and date of the incident.

The deductible

If your comprehensive insurance policy will pay for the damages, you may need to pay the deductible amount first. If your deductible is $500 and the damages are $2,000, you would have to pay the $500 and the insurance company would then cover the remaining $1,500.

One thing you should realize is that if you turn your wheel and avoid hitting the deer but collide into something else, it will be your collision coverage that will cover the event. In this case, you may or may not have to pay the deductible for your policy. Your agent will explain to you how this works if this is the case.

The effects of the accident on your insurance

Hitting a deer may appear on your driving record as an accident, but deer accidents do not usually cause insurance premiums to increase. This depends, though, on the insurance company you have and on the way they handle this. You will have to talk to your agent to find out more about this.

Deer accidents are hard to avoid, but your accident might be covered with your insurance. To learn more about this, contact an auto insurance agency today.