Does Car Insurance Cover Animal Damage? Maybe. Here’s How to Tell

Car accidents are never fun, but especially when they involve animals. Whether it's wildlife damaging your car or your pet being injured by a car, you might be wondering: Does car insurance cover animal damage or injuries at all? The answer isn't always so clear.

If you hit a deer or a squirrel chews through your car's electrical system, for example, it may be covered by comprehensive insurance. If your pet is injured in an accident, it could be covered by the other driver's insurance if they caused the crash, or your own insurance if you caused it and you have certain types of coverage.

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Key takeaways

If an animal damages your car, it may be covered if you have comprehensive insurance.
If your pet is injured in an accident and you're not at fault, it may be covered by the other driver's liability insurance.
If you caused the accident, your vet bills may be covered by your insurance (but only in certain cases).
Pet insurance covers your pet either way if they're injured in most accidents.

Full coverage

It's important to know whether you have full coverage car insurance when trying to figure out whether your insurance covers animal damage. If you're still leasing or paying off your car, chances are you do have it. Most lenders require you to buy a full-coverage car insurance policy, which includes collision and comprehensive coverage. Lots of people drop this coverage to save money when it's no longer required though.

Collision coverage pays for repairs or to replace your property (i.e., your car and possibly your pets) if they're damaged or injured in a car accident, regardless of who caused it. Comprehensive coverage, on the other hand, covers your car if it's damaged by something else. Usually, this includes things that can happen while your vehicle is parked, such as natural disasters or rogue golf balls. But it also covers animal damage, including if you hit an animal while driving.

Damage caused by an animal

In my former career, I worked in wildlife conservation, so I'm keenly aware of the damage that animals can cause to cars. It's impossible to predict every scenario, but here are some cases where your comprehensive car insurance could apply.

Rodents damaging your car while it's in storage
Hitting a deer on your way to your grandmother's house
Bears breaking into your car for snacks while you're out hiking
Birds dropping catfish through your windshield while you're driving (this really happened!)
Your friend's dog tearing apart your car's interior while they borrow it

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What if my pet gets injured as a passenger?

Things get a bit trickier if it's your furry friend that was injured in an accident. The biggest factor that determines whose insurance kicks in, if at all, is which driver caused the accident.

Anytime you file a claim, the insurance company will investigate the accident to some extent. The more you claim in damages and the more red flags surrounding the accident, the longer and more involved it'll be to complete the investigation. It could be as short as a few days, but in many cases, it may take much longer.

Assuming your pet is covered, they'll generally be treated as property for insurance purposes. (Yes, I know, and you know, and even the insurance agents know that pets are family — but, legally speaking, they're still considered property, not people). That means they'll fall under the "property damage" limits for the various flavors of car insurance coverages.

Let's take a closer look at how that works, depending on whose policy applies.

Not at-fault accident

If you didn't cause the accident, you can file a claim against the other driver's property damage liability policy. Unlike their bodily injury liability coverage (which applies to you), property damage liability policies are designed to pay for damages to your car and its contents, including your furry friend, should they be injured.

Drivers are required to carry liability coverage in most U.S. states, although the minimum coverage amount might vary. Keep in mind that minimum coverage limits are usually very low for property damage compared to human injuries. Any damage to your own car or its contents will lower how much is left over for your pet too. In Massachusetts, for example, drivers are only required to carry $5,000 in property damage liability coverage. That's a fifth of the cost of replacing an average-priced used car.

If the other driver's insurance isn't enough to fully reimburse you for your vet bills or — sadly — the cost of a new pet, then you can file a claim under your own Underinsured Motorist (UIM) policy. It's required in a few states and optional in most, although experts always recommend carrying it for exactly this reason.

Insurance companies usually offer UIM coverage as a package deal along with Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage, which kicks in if you're the victim of a hit-and-run or if the other driver just didn't have insurance at all. Given that one in seven drivers went uninsured in 2023, it's also a wise purchase.

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At-fault accident

Things get a bit trickier if your insurance company determines you caused the accident. In that case, they may cover your pet's vet bills if you've bought optional extra coverages in advance.

Some insurers offer separate pet injury coverage that you can buy. Others will just straight-up cover pets under a regular collision policy. (But remember, that's only if you have a full coverage insurance policy to start, which includes collision coverage.)

Check the fine print carefully or ask your insurance company if you're not sure because, generally speaking, pet claims aren't covered by your collision insurance unless they're specifically written into the contract.

Another thing to be mindful of is whether your pet was safely restrained at the time of the accident or not. If the claims adjuster finds out that your pet caused the accident because they weren't properly restrained, they may have legal grounds to deny your claim.

It's something I keenly remember thinking about when my 50-pound German Shepherd mix, Miika, tried crawling into my lap while panicking as we crossed over a long bridge shortly after I adopted her. Thankfully, she was tied up to the backseat, and we didn't get into an accident.

Pet insurance

There's a better way you can ensure your pet is covered if they're involved in a car accident, though — pet insurance. Generally, you'll pay the vet yourself and then file for reimbursement for the covered portion with the insurance company. You can choose your coverage limit, deductible, and coinsurance amount just like with a human health insurance policy.

Most pet insurance companies offer a basic and affordable accident-only policy, covering things like car accidents, dog park attacks, or snakebites. In 2024, the average accident-only policy cost $193 per year for a dog, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.

If you want even more coverage for things like infectious illnesses and future chronic conditions your pet might develop, a full accident and illness policy might be worth looking into. The price of these policies is much higher — $749 per year for dogs, in 2024 — but they cover more things too. It's extra important to read the fine print carefully for these policies, since there's more potential for exclusions and longer waiting periods before coverage gets started.

FAQs

Is hitting an animal considered an accident?

Yes. Unless it was intentional, it's considered an accident. Damages would only be covered if you have comprehensive coverage, though. It's generally optional unless you're leasing or paying off your car, in which case your lender might require you to buy it as part of a full coverage policy.

Will my car insurance go up if I hit an animal?

Maybe. If you file a claim against your insurance policy, it's possible that your rates will go up, but it depends on the insurer's policies.

Which animals do you have to report if you hit one with your car?

That depends on state and local laws where you live. If you hit a moose in Alaska, for example, you're required by law to report it. That's not the case if you hit a deer in North Dakota though.

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Bottom line

You had a 1-in-128 chance of hitting a deer last year, according to a recent report from State Farm. That's not including all the other ways animals can damage your car either. So it's worth considering comprehensive insurance if you don't already have a full coverage policy.

Next, make sure you have a way to restrain your pet in the car. Only about half of people in the U.S. actually do this. It'll make sure your pet stays safe if there is an accident and that your insurer can't deny your claim if you need to file one. Finally, consider whether your pet has adequate coverage under your own car insurance plan or if it's worth adding on pet coverage too.

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