Does car insurance cover storm damage?

Which car insurance policies cover storm damage?

When you buy car insurance, you might not think about whether it will cover your car for weather-related damage.

But road traffic accidents aren’t the only thing that can result in having to take your vehicle to the garage.

Most comprehensive car insurance policies will usually cover storm damage - like a dent caused by a falling tree or flying debris.

However, if your car comes off worse in a storm and you only have third party cover, you won’t be able to make a claim or get a payout.

Is storm damage to my car classed as accidental damage?

If a storm damages your car, you might see it as accidental. But insurers often classify weather-related incidents as an ‘Act of God’.

In other words, the damage occurred naturally and was unavoidable - which means you should be able to make a claim.

The type of damage and situations insurers will cover can vary though, so always check the policy wording.

Claims due to bad weather will generally fall under the ‘at-fault’ category because the insurer can’t recover their costs from elsewhere.

Unfortunately, this means that claiming for storm damage will usually impact your no-claims discount (NCD). So, you’re likely to see your premiums increase when it comes to renewal time.

What type of storm damage will my car insurance cover?

Bad weather conditions can cause damage to your car in several ways. But typical situations that a comprehensive policy might cover include:

Falling trees or debris

Your car insurance can cover the cost of damage if high winds cause a tree to fall onto your car or flying debris to smash windows and scratch paintwork.

Flood damage

If heavy rainfall and sudden high water levels result in flood damage to your car, perhaps causing electrical faults, you should be able to make a claim.

Extreme hail

Most comprehensive policies will cover you if a storm causes unusually large hailstones that dent your car’s bodywork, damaging windows and windscreens.

Snow and ice

You’ll usually be covered if weather causes dangerous driving conditions which result in a car crash, or your parked car being hit.

When won’t my car be covered for storm damage?

There are some situations that your car insurance won’t cover. Typical exclusions for storm damage might include:

• Damage from a neighbour’s property - If a neighbour’s tree or roof tile falls and damages your car, you may be able to claim through their home insurance.
• Driving through a flooded street - You won’t be covered if you drove through high flood water when doing so was avoidable.
• Ignoring warnings - Your claim is likely to be rejected if you ignored warnings about travelling or closed road signs.
• Driving irresponsibly - You won’t be covered if you were found to be driving without due care and attention, or at high speeds.
• Leaving your car unattended - For example, you won’t be covered if you leave the car unattended while you have the engine running to defrost the windscreen.