Not all car insurance plans cover fire damage to your auto.
The type of insurance that would cover fire damage to your vehicle is an optional coverage, which is not mandatory in the state of Massachusetts.
This means that if you’ve ever built your own auto policy with one of those on-line carriers without the assistance and guidance of an insurance agent, you may have not elected to buy this coverage! YIKES!
According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments in the US respond to approximately 287,000 vehicle fires annually!
SOME COMMON CAUSES OF CAR FIRES:
- Fuel System Leaks
- Flammable Liquids in the engine such as oil, transmission fluid and coolants
- Overheating Engines
- Lack of Maintenance
- Design Flaws
- Home Garage Fires
(Damage to your car is not covered under your Homeowner policy!)
If you submit a claim for fire damage to your insurance company, they may require that the incident be reported to the fire and police departments.
Property loss as a result of vehicle fires amount to more than one billion dollars per year.
Comprehensive Coverage, Part 9 in the Massachusetts Automobile Policy, is the coverage you need in order to have protection for fire damage to your vehicle. If a fire is a result of a motor vehicle accident, then the damages will likely be covered under the collision portion of your auto policy.
A deductible that you choose applies to this coverage. Deductibles start at $300 and go up from there. We usually recommend a lower deductible under Comprehensive, Part 9, to our clients because this amount is most often the responsibility of the insured at the time of a loss.
Due to the number of fraudulent fire claims that insurance companies see, a fire claim is investigated thoroughly before any payment is made.
Do you have any more questions regarding comprehensive coverage on your auto policy? We can help. Reach out to us at info@insurewithrichardson.com.