Is my car covered?

Does My Homeowner’s Policy Cover My Car If It Is In My Garage?

     Fire, flood, and other types of home damage can be traumatic; the last thing that any victim of this type of disaster wants to think about is whether or not their now damaged vehicle is covered under the umbrella of their home insurance policy. While many individuals assume that a car parked in their garage is protected by their homeowner’s insurance, the fact is that this is almost always not the case.
     A home insurance policy is purchased by an individual who wishes to protect their home, the items that reside directly within or around their home, and to protect themselves from costly repairs for damages incurred by the house in which they live. However, a vehicle that is registered (or is eligible to be registered) with its state’s department of transportation cannot be considered an item within the home, and is therefore not covered by a homeowner’s insurance policy. The opposite is true regarding car insurance. While you would expect that your homeowner’s insurance protect the surround sound system you keep in your den, you would not expect that it be covered by your car insurance if it happened to be damaged while sitting in your back seat. This principle can be applied to damage incurred by your vehicle while it is parked in your garage.
     If your vehicle does happen to become damaged while parked in your garage, your car insurance provider would be the first party to call regarding compensation for repairs. Unfortunately, a standard auto coverage plan does not cover fire, flood, or other types of damage sustained while the car is parked on your premises. If you desire the level of coverage that would protect your car in these (and other situations not listed on a standard policy), you would opt instead for comprehensive coverage. This type of coverage would help to pay for repairs due to theft, vandalism, fire, and others, while your liability coverage only kicks in when you are actually operating the vehicle.
     Even in light of this information, some drivers may still be slightly confused concerning the amount of coverage actually offered by their homeowner’s insurance plan. It is helpful to think about the car situation as follows: A vehicle, no matter how it is utilized, is never considered a fixture of your home. Even if the car is parked in the dining room of your house and you use it as a table on a regular basis, it is still a car that is eligible to be registered and driven on the roads of the country in which you live. Therefore, it is not actually a fixed item of your home and is not covered at all by your home insurance policy.
     This point is further proven by another example. If a tree falls on your garage and completely wrecks the roof of your car in the process, you would need to contact two parties: your home insurance company for assessment and repairs to your garage and your car insurance company for comprehensive coverage for your car’s roof. If, for any reason, your car’s insurance coverage does not extend to such damage, you can expect to pay an out-of-pocket amount for those repairs. This is the reason that many drivers elect to pay a bit more for a comprehensive coverage plan if they believe their vehicles to be at risk of this type of damage. If you find that you are concerned with risk to your vehicle while it resides within your garage, contact your car insurance provider for details on comprehensive coverage.