I Hit A Tree With My Car – Is It A Comprehensive Deductible?

Last Updated on January 20, 2023 by Leepu Da Maxim

On most occasions, vehicle insurance can offer certain coverage when it is comprehensive coverage. So, this coverage can help cover all necessary expenses when it is not a collision. If a driver must repair a vehicle because of a fallen tree, an insurer may pay much of the cost. 

Key Takeaways

• If you hit a tree with your car, then it will be covered by collision coverage
• If there is any property damage caused to another person and/or property then it will be covered by liability coverage
• Natural disasters like hailstorms, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe storms are covered by comprehensive insurance coverage
• The collision insurance coverage is mainly concerned with the moment a vehicle collides with a fixed structure or another vehicle

Comprehensive Insurance – Main Features

Features	Description
Natural Disasters	This includes storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural events of high severity.
Acts Of Vandalism Terrorism	Acts of vandalism or terrorism are incorporated in the comprehensive insurance.
Falling Objects	Falling objects such as a branch from a tree or the crash of a driver into a tree are included in comprehensive insurance.
Impacts With Animals	Impacts on animals on the road are included in this type of coverage.
Theft And Vandalism	Like other auto insurance, vandalism and theft are essential aspects of this type of auto insurance.

Is Hitting A Tree Covered By Comprehensive Or Collision?

Today, there is a wide variety of auto insurance coverages due to the wide possibility of damages a person can suffer to his or her vehicle. Some of the most common are collision coverage, liability coverage, or comprehensive coverage. So, these different coverages allow the insurer to take care of the damages depending on what the initial factor was.

Comprehensive and collision are two coverages that are optional and are not usually included in the most basic vehicle cultures. Either way, drivers of a vehicle can compare different quotes from insurers to get the best option.

1. Comprehensive Insurance

In principle, comprehensive insurance coverage is comprehensive car insurance to be able to avoid the big problems that some natural events can generate. Of course, comprehensive insurance is widely used in some geographical areas with frequent and considerable weather inconveniences. 

Also, a driver cannot have any control over a falling tree branch or hail that manages to make small dents in the chassis of a car. That is why an insurance company offers a comprehensive policy along with a higher cost on most occasions. To better understand what comprehensive insurance is all about, we can mention the types of damages that are considered:

1. Natural disasters such as hailstorms, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe storms.

2. Theft of the vehicle or personal belongings, as well as vandalism.

3. Explosions due to various factors, civil commotions, and fires.

4. Animal impacts and damage such as a collision with a wild animal on a highway, a very common situation is a collision with a deer that causes significant damage to a vehicle.

5. Accidentally falling objects such as a large tree limb

6. Partially or completely broken windshields and windows.

7. Acts of terrorism in general

Thus, comprehensive insurance also includes when a driver accidentally hits a tree. Of course, in these cases, the specific conditions of each auto insurance coverage may vary. In most cases, however, the insurer will cover most of the costs, leaving a small fee for the driver of the vehicle.

Besides, acts of terrorism are often considered too broad. Of course, this is because it is not an everyday situation that people experience in most countries or states. In turn, when an act of terrorism happens people have no control over the actions or consequences of these events.

That is why having a comprehensive insurance policy helps to avoid being responsible for damages to a vehicle in this type of situation. In many cases, comprehensive insurance is often chosen by drivers with a good budget. 

2. Collision Insurance

Another of the most common coverages for a vehicle is usually collision insurance. Unlike comprehensive insurance, here a smaller number of factors are incorporated. It is mainly concerned with the moment a vehicle collides with a fixed structure or another vehicle. In this case, the collision insurance acts and provides coverage to the driver.

That is why the vast majority of automobile accidents involving at least one vehicle are considered among the coverage factors of this auto insurance. That is why we can mention the list that includes all types of damages covered by this type of auto insurance.

1. A car crashes into your car while you are parked or you crash into another car.

2. The driver crashes into a fixed object, such as a pole, lamppost, or tree.

3. The driver crashes into a pothole or significant ditch

4. A vehicle rolls over for some reason

5. Another car hits your vehicle and runs away

Of course, this collision insurance manages to offer some benefits and advantages for the people who purchase it. Anyway, this type of auto coverage does not contemplate the main acts that do not depend on the driver. As we have mentioned above, natural factors such as storms are not considered here.

In the same sense, acts of vandalism or terrorism are not considered either. Anyway, the main advantage is that you get a certain coverage regardless of who has been responsible for the damage received to a vehicle. So, this can be very useful to avoid problems with another insurance company and other drivers.

In this same way, the insurance company does not need to investigate and determine who was responsible for the damage to a vehicle. So, this allows any claim to be made in a much more expedited manner compared to other much more basic insurance coverages.

Additionally, a driver with a vehicle and collision insurance coverage will not need to deal with other insurance companies to obtain payment. So, the requirements to qualify for the necessary repair payments are not as high as with other types of auto insurance.

Even when it comes to a rental car, collision insurance can also be efficient. Thus, it is collision insurance that manages to avoid a great deal of stress and problems for occasional drivers. This is why many people constantly consider collision insurance instead of comprehensive insurance.

3. Main Differences Between Comprehensive Insurance And Collision Insurance

To determine and understand in a better way what each of these auto insurance policies entails, we must mention what the main differences are. First of all, one of the main differences is that each of these insurances includes the driver’s control over a certain automobile accident.

In this sense, on many occasions, the driver has a certain level of control before the damage to his vehicle occurs. This can happen in a variety of situations such as when a driver hits another vehicle or a vehicle is hit by another driver. In all of these cases, collision insurance provides the necessary coverage to repair the damage to a vehicle.

Additionally, events and situations beyond the driver’s control are often considered in comprehensive insurance. As we have mentioned, an unfortunate event such as car theft, a major storm, or a collision with a startled deer is some of the situations considered by comprehensive insurance. Thus, the driver of a vehicle will be protected against those situations that he cannot control. 

However, there may be some situations here that confuse many drivers. An example of this is the major storms that usually happen when they include hurricanes or earthquakes. In this regard, there can be two main situations that at first glance are similar but very different at the same time.

1. Firstly, there can simply be a parked car that suffers major damage due to a heavy branch falling from a tree. In this case, the driver has no control over the situation since the car was parked and completely stopped. There is also no need for the driver to be present since he has no control over the falling heavy tree branch.

2. A similar situation occurs when the same heavy tree branch falls on the road. In these cases, the driver may need to swerve sharply to avoid a collision with the heavy tree branch. In this dangerous maneuver, the driver may end up hitting a different tree.

3. With comprehensive insurance, the driver of the parked vehicle may be able to obtain payment to make the necessary repairs. In this sense, the driver had no control over the situation since the car was parked. 

4. With collision insurance, the second driver who had to make an abrupt maneuver will be able to obtain payment after hitting another tree. Thus, the driver is considered to have had control over the situation since he was able to make a maneuver.

So, when a driver hits a tree, it is highly recommended to have collision insurance. In this way, the driver will have the possibility to get paid to check each of the necessary repairs on his vehicle. When it comes to comprehensive insurance, the driver will also be protected from a wide variety of situations.

However, the latter type of auto insurance is usually much more expensive compared to the other options. Besides, people can compare quotes from different insurance companies to choose the best option at an affordable cost. 

References:

https://getjerry.com/car-insurance/hit-pole-or-tree-car-insurance

https://www.thezebra.com/ask/get-insurance-company-involved-pay-damage-backed-tree/