Insurance & Acts of God

Howry, Breen & Herman, LLP May 19, 2021

Whether you are religious or not, you might encounter an “act of God” if your vehicle is damaged in a seemingly random and unpredictable set of circumstances. For example, if you are driving past some farmland and a cow dashes in front of your car, causing you to hit it and crumple your bumper before the cow runs away again, then your auto insurance provider would probably consider that an act of God. Another act of God would be something like having your windshield cracked by a tin can that got swept out of a trash can by the wind and tossed into the road.

Acts of God are not just frustrating because they can feel like a divine force decided to pick on you randomly but also because your insurance company might do little to reimburse you for the damage they cause. Most act of God clauses will only pay for such damage using the policy’s collision coverage, not liability insurance, so the available amount is generally low.

Furthermore, many acts of God clauses use specific language to describe what “acts of God” are actually eligible for collision coverage reimbursement. For instance, some policies will exclude seemingly random damage caused by a weather catastrophe. If a branch were to get ripped off a tree in a tornado and it smashed your car, then your insurer could refuse to pay anything if the clause specifically excluded weather-related damage.

Review Your Policy & Call an Attorney

If your car has been damaged in what seems like a completely random accident, then you should check out your insurance policy’s details for any mention of acts of God. You could have collision coverage for what happened, but you also might not. It all depends on what sort of policy you were sold. To get to the bottom of all the legalese in your insurance policy, working with a car accident attorney is highly recommended, especially if the insurance company is giving you trouble when seeking coverage.

Howry, Breen & Herman in Austin offers comprehensive legal assistance to local drivers who have found themselves in all sorts of unusual situations and accidents. Contact us online if you need our help dealing with an insurance company after an “act of God” damaged or totaled your car.

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