Whether it’s a tiny animal throwing objects at your car or a collision with a camel, animals pose a real threat, find out if your insurance covers their damages!
Whether you live in an area where goats are common and might stomp on your car and cause dents, or you find yourself in an unfortunate collision with a camel, animals are a common risk factor and can cause huge damage to your vehicle. It’s therefore an important question to ask: does your insurance cover you against animal damage?
Consider your insurance type: Comprehensive or Third-Party Liability
Animal damage, whether minor or major, will only be covered with Comprehensive insurance and might be dependent on the sole approval of your insurance provider and the fine print of your insurance policy. But they are definitely not covered with Third-Party Liability insurance since this does not cover Own Damage. Anyway, sadly only human beings are classified as Third Parties under an insurance contract!.
In some countries, animal damage may be covered as a Comprehensive “peril” but any damages due to collision with animals might not be. Fortunately, this isn’t the case in the UAE. However, always take care in areas where collision with an animal is a risk, ie. desert roads. Be alert and aware of their potential presence not only from an insurance perspective but also a legal one as hitting and killing a camel can still be an offence in some Emirates!
If you’re a bit hesitant on which type of insurance you should buy for your car, our previous blog would be of value: Should I Purchase Comprehensive or Third-Party Car Insurance?
How serious is the animal damage threat in the UAE?
Though many of us live in urban areas in the UAE and rarely face any real threat of animal damage on the road, animal accidents are more common than we might think: especially in rural areas where camels are seen daily along the highways Ras Al Khaimah even built an underpass specifically for camels to cross the road in an attempt to lower the number of such accidents in the emirate, which reported 213 accidents with animals in 2015.
And it’s not just damage to vehicles that is a concern. In 2016 two men died after a serious collision with camels on the road, so animals may pose a real threat to your personal safety in the UAE especially if you, like many of us, enjoy staycations and road trips among different wildlife spots around the UAE.
The Verdict: will my insurance cover animal damages?
Though your Comprehensive insurance will most likely cover animal damage, it may still refuse or reject the claim depending on the circumstances of the accidents. For instance, if you were driving way beyond the speed limit in an area where warnings of animal crossing are widespread, or if you are driving under the influence of an intoxicating drug. It’s important to note that generally such incidents will be assessed on a case by case basis so don’t take for granted that just because you have insurance, the circumstances don’t count.
If you want to know more about what your insurance policy doesn’t cover, take a look at our previous blog: What Is Not Covered Under A Car Insurance Policy?
To have any more insurance queries clarified; or to get the best deal for your budget on an insurance policy; contact our insurance advisors at InsuranceMarket.ae. They will go above and beyond to make sure you are delighted with your new insurance policy. Safe travels!
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