Is Hitting a Deer Covered by Comprehensive Insurance?

A collision with a deer can be a sudden and unsettling event for any driver. These incidents, which occur frequently across the United States, often leave vehicle owners questioning how their automotive insurance policies apply. Understanding coverage for such occurrences is important for navigating the aftermath and ensuring financial protection.

What Comprehensive Insurance Covers

Comprehensive insurance provides financial protection for damage to your vehicle resulting from events other than collisions with other vehicles or overturning. This coverage addresses risks beyond a driver’s control. Common perils covered include damage from fire, theft, vandalism, falling objects like tree branches, and natural disasters such as hail, floods, or windstorms.

Comprehensive coverage is distinct from collision insurance, which specifically covers damage to your vehicle from an impact with another car or object, or if your vehicle rolls over. Collision coverage addresses damage where your vehicle makes contact with another vehicle or stationary object. Many policyholders choose to carry both comprehensive and collision coverage for broad protection.

Deer Collisions and Comprehensive Coverage

Damage to your vehicle from hitting a deer, or other animals like elk or moose, is covered under comprehensive insurance. These incidents are classified as “acts of nature” or “animal collisions” rather than standard collisions with other vehicles or fixed objects. For comprehensive coverage to apply, there must be direct physical contact between your vehicle and the animal.

However, if you swerve to avoid a deer and, in doing so, collide with another vehicle or a stationary object like a tree or guardrail, that resulting damage would fall under your collision coverage. This distinction is important because the cause of the damage changes from an animal impact to an impact with another object. Drivers who only carry liability coverage will not have coverage for deer collisions.

Immediate Actions After a Deer Collision

After a deer collision, prioritizing safety is primary. If possible, move your vehicle to a safe location away from traffic and activate your hazard lights. Check yourself and any passengers for injuries; if injuries are present, contact emergency medical services immediately. Do not approach a wounded or deceased deer, as a frightened animal can behave unpredictably.

Contacting law enforcement to file a police report is advisable, especially if there is significant vehicle damage or if required by local regulations for insurance purposes. Document the scene thoroughly: take clear photographs of the vehicle damage, the incident location, and the deer if safe. This documentation provides valuable evidence when you initiate an insurance claim.

Navigating Your Insurance Claim

Once immediate safety concerns are addressed and initial documentation is gathered, next contact your insurance provider to report the incident. This can be done through their mobile application, website, or by phone. When reporting, provide all collected details and documentation, including any police report number and photographs of the damage.

After you report the claim, the insurance company will assign an adjuster to assess your vehicle’s damage. The adjuster will inspect the vehicle, review your documentation, and determine the damage extent and estimated repair cost. After this assessment, you will receive repair estimates, and your insurance provider will guide you in choosing a repair shop.

Understanding Deductibles and Payouts

When filing a comprehensive claim for deer damage, a deductible will apply. The deductible is the out-of-pocket amount you are responsible for paying toward the repair costs before your insurance coverage begins to pay the remainder. For example, if your vehicle sustains $2,000 in damage from a deer collision and your comprehensive deductible is $500, you would pay the first $500, and your insurer would cover the remaining $1,500.

The insurance company assesses the damage and determines the payout based on factors such as the vehicle’s actual cash value (ACV) at the time of the incident. ACV considers the vehicle’s market value, accounting for depreciation due to age, mileage, and wear and tear. If repair costs exceed a certain percentage of the ACV, or the ACV itself, the vehicle may be declared a total loss, and the payout will be based on its ACV, minus your deductible.