No one expects a car to come through the front living room a house, but it does happen. Once everyone confirms there are no serious injuries then the realization of the damage set in, and it’s usually pretty bad. After all, a projectile the size of a car is going to take out a good portion of a room before it stops completely. Technically, there are two coverages that kick in during such situations: the car driver’s responsibility and the home protection plan.

Since most homes are required to have some kind of home insurance if in mortgage status, most will also have a comprehensive home insurance plan that covers the majority of accident situations, but that doesn’t mean car caused damage is included. Home insurance typically covers more frequent risks like slip & falls, fire, break-ins, structural failure or similar. Car-caused damage tends to be far less frequent and some companies treat it as an outlier, such as flooding or tornadoes, and require a special policy coverage for such risks. In other cases, car damage may be limited to just the garage where a car would likely bump the house frame and not the rest of the structure. Again, how the home insurance policy is worded can make a big difference.

Ideally, however, the driver is responsible first, since he drove the car or controlled it prior to hitting the home. So if it exists, the driver’s car insurance policy will cover initial damage repairs. Many car policies are capped, however, and can only pay a certain amount. If damage is more or there is no policy, the driver must pay out of pocket but will likely have to be sued. In such cases, a homeowner will need to rely on his own policy for immediate repairs. To find out how to avoid these situations in the Albany, NY area, give NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency a call. They can explain policy nuances and help with finding the right coverage for the unexpected.