A very unfortunate and unforeseen event occurs at your home where a driver crashes into your house. What now? Considering the amount of damage done, you could either be fully covered or not at all. Let us discuss how to get the money you deserve in this type of situation and more importantly what to do if a car crashes into your house.
Determine the driver’s vehicle policy
This is the first and most important step that you should be considering when a driver crashes into your house. Believe it or not, cars crashing into homes and business is relatively common as it is estimated that around 50 to 60 occur every day. Once both the driver and homeowner are safe, start exchanging insurance numbers and more importantly find out the damage covered underneath the driver’s vehicle policy. This is where you determine the amount of property damage you are entitled to.
In most cases, such as when the car crashes into the wall of the house, the policy will not fully cover the damage. This is when you should look at your homeowner’s insurance policy. Also, something significant to mention is that you should not be at fault for any damages when someone else crashes into your home, the driver is fully responsible.
Evaluate your homeowner’s insurance policy
You may have several questions about your homeowners insurance policy and in that case, we already wrote a very helpful article about this topic in one of our previous blog posts! However, in the case of a car crashing into your house, this is what you should look for.
In your policy, be sure to look at coverage of vehicle damage or vehicle strike damage. If this is not covered, contact your insurance agent, and if all else fails look into a different homeowners insurance policy as you can switch at any time! With both the driver’s vehicle policy and your homeowner’s insurance policy, you should be covered fully for the damage.
Deductibles and filing a claim
When should you file a claim when a car crashes into your house?
Well, in the case of significant damage to your home it is most likely worth filing even if you may receive increased rates. However, when there is little damage and you have a high deductible, a claim is not necessary especially since the driver’s vehicle policy may cover damages for you as well.
Dealing with uninsured drivers when a car crashes into your house
In the case of the driver being uninsured, you may be wondering what to do next. Unfortunately, the damages done will result in your homeowner’s insurance policy needing to be used. As mentioned previously, depending on the amount of damage you will likely be fully covered but your rates may rise. However, make sure to take the necessary legal action in the case of your repairs being outrageously expensive.
What happens if the damage leaves me unable to live in my house?
In some cases, especially with an entire wall missing you may not be able to sleep in your house while it gets repaired. In this case, you may be entitled to your insurance provider to find you a place to live in the meantime at no extra cost. If this is not met, let us help you deal with the entire process, including a temporary housing solution.
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We've been helping homeowners since 2005 to get the most money for their claim and take the stress out of the insurance claim process.
