12/29/2018
A SQUIRREL WITH GOOD AIM MEANS BAD NEWS FOR THIS CAR OWNER
There are many ways in which an animal can damage your car. Find out how your auto policy can provide coverage.
The squirrel. So much cuteness in one tiny, furry nemesis. See how one real customer found out that they have uncannily accurate aim, too.
Q: We have some beautiful old trees in our neighborhood — and lots of critters that call them home. The bird droppings wash off, but my neighbor just found dents in the hood of her new car. She swears she saw a squirrel chucking pinecones at it. I don’t know if the squirrels in my yard have that kind of aim, but am I covered if they do?
We posed this question to Jeremy Jivan, a Farmers® agent in Barberton, Ohio, who has seen his share of damage caused by small animals. Here’s what his straightforward take on a squirrelly situation.
I can’t remember the last time I saw a squirrel pitching pinecones, but I do know that my customers are no strangers to animal encounters. They’re more common than you might think.
A few years back, a small animal (still unidentified) wiggled into a customer’s car and wreaked havoc on the interior. It was chewed, gnawed and clawed to shreds. Now, imagine the cost of replacing every inch of upholstery, carpeting and trim in your car. Fortunately, the customer had comprehensive coverage on his auto policy, so Farmers covered the damage. While coverage ultimately depends on the facts and circumstances of a claim, this optional coverage may provide coverage when you are faced with the inconvenient forces of nature, including pinecone-pitching squirrels, a goat stampede or a mouse that makes itself at home in your engine.
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Comprehensive insurance also covers damage to your car that’s not the result of a collision with another vehicle or stationary object. That means you could be covered for damage like a rock cracking your windshield to a lightning strike that fries the electrical system. Even damage caused by your own pet is covered because, after all, animals will be animals.
Along with collision insurance, comprehensive can be a valuable additional coverage for your car. It’s optional in most states, but usually required by lenders and leasing companies. If you no longer carry collision on your car, you can still get comprehensive by itself.
Here are more examples of what comprehensive auto insurance may cover:
Theft, vandalism, riots
Wind, hail, floods, lightning
Hitting a deer or other animal
Damage caused by animals
Falling or flying objects
Fires and explosions
As you can see, there’s a reason we call it “comprehensive.” It often covers many things you would never think of, like squirrels fastballing pinecones.
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