You have car insurance to provide protection of your vehicle and liability risks you face. Liability covers losses you are responsible for that impact other people. However, there are limits to when this insurance applies. Could auto insurance help cover lawn damage? There are a few things that drivers in Western Massachusetts should consider here.
What Happened Matters
Perhaps you looked at your phone and swerved. You ran into the curb and over the top of it. The neighbor’s lawn has significant damage. Perhaps the mailbox also has damage. Will your car insurance cover the losses?
Your car's liability insurance usually helps cover losses to other parties if you damage their property or valuables. In this case, hitting the mailbox means you caused damage to their property. And, as a result, filing an auto insurance claim can help cover those costs.
As the owner of the vehicle, you need to provide information to the property owner about the incident. He or she files a liability claim with your agent. Your policy, therefore, will likely pay.
Lawn damage can be a bit more difficult. Not all policies offer coverage for the lawn itself. In other words, grass and soil replacement might not have coverage It is hard to put a value on this damage. And, it can also be a restriction on the policy. Depending on the severity of the damage, your car insurance may cover the costs as a liability claim.
What If You Do Not Have Coverage?
If you do not have auto insurance, you may be responsible for paying for the damage you cause out-of-pocket. The individual can even file a lawsuit against you for these losses. While property damage is normally something your car insurance covers, if you do not have coverage, you may need to pay for the costs yourself. This includes any attorney you hire, court costs, and the settlement amount. Rather, it's better to let your policy handle these losses.
If you are unsure if you have proper coverage, call your agent. Discuss the type of policy you have and the amount of coverage it offers. What is very important here is to learn about the exclusions of the policy. Most liability policies cover these types of losses up to a certain amount of value based on the coverage you buy.
Your agent can offer insight into the proper way to make repairs. Even if you are not sure that you have financial help, your agent can give you some information on the best steps to take to protect yourself from these losses.