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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 another driver is at fault, then, yes, typically their property damage liability coverage will pay for damages done to your pet -- if the car owner's liability limits are high enough to cover both the damage to your vehicle and pet.

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.

Of course, if the damages to your vehicle already maxed out the at-fault driver's property damage liability coverage -- which are typically much lower than the limits for bodily injury -- , then, unfortunately, there would be no insurance money to pay for your pet's injuries. You would have to pursue the other driver to personally pay for injuries your pet sustained in the accident.

If you're the driver at fault, then your property damage liability insurance coverage would not cover your vehicle or your own damaged property, such as an injured pet. You could file a claim for your car's damages under your collision coverage, but there is only one insurer that we currently know of that covers pet injuries under collision coverage.

Generally, auto insurance companies won't cover your pets injuries or medical expenses when you are the at-fault driver in an accident - your personal injury protection coverage does not extend to cover animals riding in your car.

However, one company automatically includes in their collision coverage benefits pet injury coverage of up to $1,000. There is no extra charge for this pet coverage, and you can use collision coverage regardless of fault in an auto accident.

Right now pet coverage only covers cats and dogs, the most common types of pets, and not pigs, ferrets or other exotic pets. To make a claim for your pet's injuries, the pet must have been injured inside the vehicle during an auto accident.




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