Get Your Car Insured for Flood Damage and More

Accidents, floods, and other things can damage your car when least expected. That said, it’s imperative to make sure you have your car insured for flood damage to prevent losses when your car is damaged. Read on to learn more about flood damage insurance and more.

1. Getting Insurance

The insurance coverage issue is a widely discussed topic in the U.S. Learning about insurance will help you understand why you need it. Getting your car insured for flood damage is a contract between you and the insurance company of your choice to protect you against financial loss if your car is damaged or stolen. As part of the contract, you have to pay premiums regularly. The amount of premium you pay will depend on the intended usage of your car, your annual mileage, occupation, address, car model, and driving experience.

Auto insurance covers property damage or loss, liability if you cause property damage or injuries, and medical costs for treating injuries, rehabilitation, lost income, and even funeral expenses. Your auto insurance will cover you and your family members included on the policy, whether driving your car or any other car. The policy also covers someone, not in your policy but is driving your car with your authorization.

Although insurance coverage requirements vary from state to state, there are various requirements that all states require, including bodily injury liability, property damage liability, personal injury protection, and uninsured motorist coverage. There are other optional coverages like comprehensive cover that covers damage and theft and glass coverage and collision damage. Getting auto insurance is the best thing you can do for your car.

2. Using Your Car Insurance

Using your car insurance is pretty simple. In the event of an auto accident that has left you injured or damaged your car, you need to determine which auto insurance policies you have. After the accident, file a claim with your insurance company to get the compensation you deserve.

Your insurance company will send representatives to evaluate the damage and injuries to determine the appropriate amount of compensation to reward you. You should use part of the compensation money to pay for hospital bills if you were injured. Use the remaining amount to do car repair and car bodywork to restore your car. If your insurance company offers you a lower amount, you can hire a personal injury lawyer to help you with the negotiations. They can also help you with the claim if the incident involves multiple parties.

Your car insurance also covers the damage you cause to another individual’s property or injuries sustained by people because of your car. Your insurance company will pay for damages and medical bills based on their severity. The payment may be made directly to the affected person, the doctor treating them, or the mechanic repairing their car.

3. What Could Happen to Your Car?

Many things can damage your car. One of them is an auto accident that can cause structural damage to your car’s body, frame, windshield, and tires. A major crash can also damage your engine and interfere with safety features in your car, like the airbags. An accident can cause cosmetic damage, mechanical damage, or both. Car body work is easy and cheaper than mechanical damages repairs. A severe crash can damage a car and have it written off by the insurance company, especially if the repair costs surpass the car’s value.

Flood damage can significantly damage a car. Make srue you get your car insured for flood damage. Floods can damage your car’s mechanical systems, electronic, and safety features. The damage extent is dependent on the kind of water the damaged your car. Although any water damage is detrimental, a car damaged with freshwater floods can be easily repaired than one damaged with saltwater floods. That’s because salt water is corrosive and can destroy your vehicle’s mechanical parts and interior. In most cases, a car damaged with freshwater requires drying and a few fixes to make it functional. On the other hand, saltwater damage requires flushing and complex repairs that are time-consuming and costly. Flood damage restoration can help repair your car even if you don’t have your car insured for flood damage.

Another thing that can damage your car is storms. A storm can destroy your car in various ways. Storm can access your car’s electrical system and damage electrical components. Storm can destroy your engine’s air filter. A storm can also cause hail damage and cause debris like fallen trees and branches to fall on your car. Protect your car against any type of these damages at all times by securing the right insurance.

4. Replace or Repair?

When your car is damaged following an accident, flood damage, storm damage, or any other cause, there are two main courses of action: repair or replacement. You are qualified for car repair or replacement if you are not responsible for the incident that caused the damage or if you have collision or replacement value insurance. If you are responsible for the accident, your insurance company will only provide you with civil liability cover. You will have to pay for the repair and replacement, which is why you should have your car insured for flood damage.

If your insurance provider is the one covering repair or replacement, there are factors they will consider before deciding whether to have your car repaired or replaced. The main factors they factor in are the repair and replacements costs. If the repair costs are higher than the value of your car at the time of the incident, your insurance company will replace your car. The same will happen if your car is rendered a complete loss. The compensation you will receive will be equal to the market value of your car at the time of the incident. Your car will be repaired only if the repair cost is less than the replacement cost.

If you are the one responsible for paying for your car’s repair or replacement, you should consider the same. Buy another car if the repair cost is higher than the cost of purchasing another one. You can sell your damaged car as part of payment when acquiring another car from a used car dealer. You can also sell them car parts, including used auto transmissions and engines.

5. What if Your Car Can’t Drive?

Soon after a damaging incident, your car may fail to drive. This can be worse if you don’t have your car insured for flood damage. If the incident that led to your car failure occurred while you were on the road, consider calling roadside assistance. Use your mobile phone to contact an auto shop or highway patrol. A professional mechanic can quickly repair your car by the roadside and make it operational again if the damage is minor.

While waiting for help, be sure to look out for your safety and that of other motorists. It would help move the car off the road if it can move. If it can’t move, switch on hazards lights and put cones on the road to alert other drivers. This will reduce other potential accidents.

If help arrives and it’s determined that your car needs more car repairs that will take a lot of time, it would be wise to call towing services to take the car to the nearest garage. You can wait for your car as it is being repaired or you can leave and collect it some other time. Don’t leave valuable items in the car during towing and repair.

If the incident happened while you were at home, you could call experts to repair it in your home. In the meantime, you can run errands using a car rental. You might also have this car insured for flood damage. Hire a car that has a discount car rental to save you money. Your insurance will cover all the costs if they are included in your policy.

6. Repayment Options

You want to get back to normal as soon as possible after an incident that damaged your car and left you injured in the process. Getting compensation from your insurance company can hasten this process. But what are the repayment options?

An insurance company can compensate you inform or cash or checks. These repayment options are usually made to cover repairs and replace items. In some instances, an insurance company may decide to repay you with a replica of your damaged belongings. This is especially common when a car has been written off following an accident or flood damage.

Be sure to consult a car crash attorney before receiving payment from an insurance company. Injury lawyers can help you determine the amount of compensation you need for the damages and injuries you have suffered. They can also hasten the repayment process and allow you to get the compensation in good time.

7. Submit Your Car Flood Insurance Claim Early

When you have a car insured for flood damage, inform your insurance company and submit your insurance claim when you notice floods have damaged your car. Insurance companies tend to deal with customers based on a first-come, first-serve pattern. The sooner you submit your claim the sooner you will get compensation.

If the floods were caused by a hurricane or heavy rains that hit your area, be sure that other people are submitting their claims as well. That implies that the insurance company will have a huge number of claims to deal with, forcing them to deal with insurance claims slower than they normally do. Your claim will be dealt with early if you submit it before other people. Submitting a claim early on also gives you and your car crash attorney ample time to determine the compensation you need and make regular follow-ups about the compensation process. Also, the longer you wait, the more damage the water can cause to your car.

Filling a car flood damage claim is the same as filling other vehicle damage claims. You can contact your insurer’s claim center or file a claim online through their website. Take photos and videos of your car as evidence to support your claim.

8. When Does Auto Insurance Cover Car Flood Damage?

Auto insurance doesn’t necessarily cover car flood damage unless you have comprehensive auto insurance or have car flood damage cover. Although comprehensive auto insurance is not compulsory, it’s recommended for every car, most of those under ten years old or worth about $3,000 and above. Despite being costly, comprehensive auto insurance will protect your car against many events like heavy rains, floods, theft, and other unpredicted events. Comprehensive insurance will cater for all repair costs or compensate you with money equivalent to your car if it’s declared a total loss by price adjusters.

9. Insurance Ad-ons to Acquire

To ensure you are fully protected against flood damage, there are various insurance add-ons you can consider adding to your auto insurance plan. These add-ons will provide your car with extra protection against flood damage.

One add-on to consider is zero depreciation. All insurance policies don’t pay the full amount of damaged property because insurance providers calculate depreciation before settling a claim. Therefore, having a zero depreciation cover will require your insurance provider to pay you the full amount without factoring in depreciation.

Another add-on you can consider adding on top of your auto car insurance is the engine protector and electronic circuit cover. Water can severely damage the engine. Make sure you have your car insured for flood damage. Having the engine protector and electronic circuit cover will cover engine damages. This type of cover is a must-have for people who live in areas that experience heavy rainfalls and floods in a year.

Also, it would be best to have quick roadside assistance as an add-on cover. That’s because driving in a flooded area can damage your car and leave you stranded on the road. This policy covers various things like on-road repairs and towing. Having these additions will cushion you against additional damages and expenses.

This article provides you with all the information you need to have concerning getting your car insured for flood damage and more. Apply for an insurance policy that protects your car against flood damage. Contact an insurance company near you if you need help or have any questions concerning auto insurance.