Does car insurance cover me if I hit a deer? 🦌

Not that you wanted to hit the darned thing, but you hit a deer. You feel terrible about it – it was cute and fluffy, and now… well, it’s not so cute and fluffy and neither is your car. Your car. Which is now crumpled-up. Great. So, does car insurance cover hitting a deer? (That deer was huge, okay?)

Will my insurance cover me if I hit a deer with my car?

If you have comprehensive car insurance, you may be covered if you hit a deer. Comprehensive car insurance covers things like fire, vandalism, falling objects (like trees), and theft. It generally also covers animal strikes. So, if you’re just minding your own business when a stupid deer runs out into the road in front of you, yes, you can be covered by your car insurance.

(If you only have liability insurance, you would not be covered because liability insurance doesn’t cover your own car. Only the other driver’s. So, if Mr. Deer gets in the way and you’re only carrying liability insurance…your bank account might be imperiled.)

What happens if I swerve to not hit the deer…and then hit a fence?

Okay. So, here’s what happened…

There was this deer…and then I swerved…and then there was a fence…and now my car is squished.

Well, first of all, hopefully you’re okay. That’s the biggest thing. (Side note: even though it’s pure instinct, do try to avoid swerving if a deer runs out in front of you. It’s probably going to be less dangerous to hit the deer than hitting something else.)

But now you’re wondering about your car. You did indeed spare the deer’s life, but you accidentally hit a fence. Your collision insurance can come into play. Collision insurance helps you repair or replace your car if it’s damaged in an accident or if you collide with something else – for instance, an unsuspecting fence. (Again, if you only have liability insurance, no, you would not be covered.)

Get started with insurance quotes through Live Chat or by giving us a call. We’re here to help you get insurance that’s ready for anything, even a deer sprinting across the street in front of your car.