Are My Pet's Injuries Covered In An Accident?

By Leigh Jackson


If I am in a car accident and my pets are in the car with me, will their injuries be covered by my auto insurance? Is my insurance responsible or does the other driver pay? If you are a pet lover, these are important questions that need answers when you consider auto insurance.

If you are in an auto accident and are not at fault - so the accident is the other drivers fault - then their property damage liability coverage should take care of any damages caused to your car and possessions, this includes your pets. As long as the others drivers liability limits are high enough to cover all the damage caused in the accident.

Pet injuries don't fall under the at-fault's bodily injury liability, like medical expenses for you would, since this coverage is normally only for injuries sustained by humans in an auto accident. Pets are seen as property and thus veterinarian bills would go under a property damage liability claim.

In some cases, the cost of the damage to your car and to your property will be so high that the other drivers property liability coverage will not extend to include your pets injuries because it will be maxed out dealing with your other property damage. In this case, you are pretty much left without any other options. Their insurance is not responsible to extend past liability limits and your insurance will most likely not cover pet damages.

If you are at fault in a car accident - if you cause it - then your insurance is responsible for any damages caused, this includes your pets injuries. Often times your insurance will not extent to cover pet medical expenses or injury recovery times. After searching multiple companies, we could only find one that included coverage specifically for pets riding along with you in the car.

Most insurance companies on the other hand, do not cover pet damages, this specific expense is not included in your personal injury protection coverage or even in your broader collision coverage when you are the driver at fault in a car wreck.

The one insurance company that does cover pet injuries includes up to $1000 of coverage for their injuries and medical expenses. You can add this bonus onto your auto insurance for no extra charge and it is included as a part of your collision coverage.

This insurance companies pet coverage includes cats and dogs - not exotic or other pets - and the coverage only includes injuries that take place in auto accidents, not in any other situations. There is pet insurance you can get for general coverage to help with expenses in other circumstances.




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