Does my car insurance cover damage caused by a natural disaster if I only have liability coverage?
If you have liability-only insurance, does insurance cover damage caused by a natural disaster? For natural disaster insurance coverage, you will need comprehensive or collision coverage, not just liability. These coverages are optional, but if you want to make sure your car is covered for natural disasters, you should consider them.
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Brandon Frady
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Brandon Frady has been a licensed insurance agent and insurance office manager since 2018. He has experience in ventures from retail to finance, working positions from cashier to management, but it wasn’t until Brandon started working in the insurance industry that he truly felt at home in his career. In his day-to-day interactions, he aims to live out his business philosophy in how he treats hi...
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UPDATED: Dec 15, 2023
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Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: Dec 15, 2023
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident auto insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one auto insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- If you only have liability coverage, this will not be sufficient if a natural disaster damages your car
- In this case, you will need comprehensive or collision cover, depending on the circumstances
- Don’t forget to consider a deductible when you decide whether to claim
A natural disaster can bring many perils which could damage your car, and you may wonder how to file an auto insurance claim in such a circumstance. But what if you only have liability coverage? Will this be sufficient? We understand your anxiety and have researched your question.
Car Insurance Won’t Cover Damage Caused by a Natural Disaster If You Only Have Liability Coverage
You will need either comprehensive or collision coverage on your policy if you want to claim for damage to your vehicle caused by a natural disaster. Your liability insurance will only pay for damage you may cause to third-party property if you were at fault in an accident.
Whether you claim against your comprehensive or collision coverage will depend on the circumstances. Liability coverage should pay for damage to the other vehicle.
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Comprehensive Insurance for Natural Disaster Coverage
Comprehensive insurance should cover damage to your vehicle not related to a crash. For example, it can cover damage from fire, falling objects, riots and similar destruction, vandalism, theft, and accidents with deer, birds, or other wild animals.
In addition, this insurance should cover your vehicle damage related to natural disasters like floods, wildfires, hailstorms, landslides, earthquakes, or hurricanes. However, look at the specific policy details for clarity. Find out more about affordable comprehensive auto insurance coverage.
Collision Insurance for Natural Disaster Coverage
Sometimes, collision insurance can pay for damage to your vehicle during bad weather associated with a natural disaster. In this case, if you lose control due to bad weather and hit another vehicle, collision insurance will pay for repairs to your car. Your liability coverage will pay for damage to the other vehicle.
To learn more about comprehensive and collision, you may read: “Comprehensive versus collision coverage: which is the more affordable choice?”
Getting Auto Insurance for Natural Disasters
Natural disasters come in different forms and are mostly unpredictable. However, experts are now quite good at accurately predicting the path of a landfalling hurricane.
So, it’s not unusual for people to rush to get comprehensive or collision coverage if these experts predict that a hurricane may hit their county. Unfortunately, some insurance companies will not accept any policy changes in such an area if it is under a hurricane warning.
Read more: Does auto insurance cover hurricane damage?
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Consider Your Deductible Before Making a Natural Disaster Insurance Claim
In most cases, a comprehensive insurance policy will also have a deductible. You may need to consider this to determine if paying for the repairs out of pocket would be better than absorbing the deductible.
Don’t forget that you may need to pay more for your insurance if you make a claim. You can learn more about deductibles by reading: “Auto insurance deductible: simply explained.”
Your Liability Coverage Will Not Be Enough if you Want to Claim for Damage Caused by a Natural Disaster
Your car insurance policy will not cover natural disaster damage when you only have liability coverage. Instead, you will need comprehensive or collision coverage, and don’t forget that you will also need to pay a deductible first.
You shouldn’t leave it until a natural disaster (like a hurricane) is imminent, as some companies might refuse to upgrade a policy in this situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is considered a natural disaster for insurance?
You should refer to your specific policy for details, but natural disasters typically include hurricanes, wildfires, thunderstorms, floods, and landslides.
Who do you transfer the risk to when you purchase insurance?
An insurance company will assume certain risks referred to as “stated and strictly defined” in this situation.
Does car insurance cover an Act of God?
Many people call a natural disaster an “act of God.” If the vehicle owner has comprehensive or collision insurance, they can contact their insurance company to help repair the vehicle.
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Brandon Frady
Licensed Insurance Agent
Brandon Frady has been a licensed insurance agent and insurance office manager since 2018. He has experience in ventures from retail to finance, working positions from cashier to management, but it wasn’t until Brandon started working in the insurance industry that he truly felt at home in his career. In his day-to-day interactions, he aims to live out his business philosophy in how he treats hi...
Licensed Insurance Agent
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.