How Your Pets Are Entitled To Claims
Riding in cars with pets can be dangerous for the pets as well as distracting to the driver, especially because they ride without the benefit of seat belts. If someone crashes into the car and causes injuries to the pet, the person is entitled to make a third party claim with his car insurance company for the pet's medical bills. That is because their liability car insurance policy must put him back where he was before the accident.
If the person is at fault in that car accident where the pet is injured, they will want to check the car insurance policy for exclusions. Say it was a crash into another car or a fence; collision insurance pays for the repairs to the person’s own vehicle. But one may have exclusion on his collision insurance coverage for damage to personal property that he is transporting, whether it is his antique vase or his pet. If the car insurance policy has such exclusions, one may not have a valid claim. However, some insurance carriers are starting to make exceptions for your pets.
Now if the person does not carry collision coverage at all, he must pay for all damage from the accident, including his car and pet. However, for car insurance purposes, the pet may qualify as personal property.
Car Insurance Coverage-- The Death Of A Pet
Certainly pets are considered to the part of the family, and the death of a beloved pet can lead to extreme grief. But the status of a pet as personal property may limit that option for compensation if someone causes an accident that kills his pet. State laws don’t typically recognize the loss of personal property as valid claims for loss of companionship compensation. In that event the pet is killed in an accident; one can likely make a claim only for the market value of his pet.
Some courts have allowed damages for deceased pets to go beyond market price by applying special value or pecuniary value, which applies to personal property that has no ascertainable market value.
In fact, the car insurance coverage for pets has been a long standing issue between car insurance companies and pet owners. There are several scenarios in which car insurance policies do cover pets, as well as those that do not. It is important to be safe when traveling with pets in the car. One should check with his car insurance company to determine if the pet is covered by his car insurance policy or not. Shop around, it is likely you will find a policy that will include your family pet.