When talking about a topic as practical as car insurance, rarely does the word “God,” or any religious language, come up. That’s not the case when it comes to an “act of God,” a term you might come across when discussing insurance coverage. But what does it actually mean, and does your car insurance cover these so-called Godly acts?
An act of God in car insurance is an event no human can prevent. Typically, acts of God refer to natural disasters such as the following:
As of the most recent data, Texas has the highest number of hail storm claims of any state, followed by Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Illinois. 1
While your car insurance policy may not use the term “acts of God,” it might cover them under comprehensive coverage. Comprehensive coverage includes property damages from incidents other than collisions. Aside from natural disasters, this type of coverage may also cover auto theft and vandalism. However, if your comprehensive coverage specifically excludes natural disasters, or if you don’t have comprehensive coverage at all, your policy won’t cover acts of God.
Acts of God claims work like any other type of auto insurance claim. Here’s a general overview of the coverage process.
To get coverage for acts of God, you’ll need comprehensive insurance that includes coverage for natural disasters like hail.
No state requires you to carry comprehensive coverage as a part of your auto insurance. However, it’s part of full coverage car insurance, along with collision, medical payments/personal injury protection, and liability insurance.
In addition to comprehensive coverage, the following protections will come in handy if your vehicle experiences an act of God.
Learn more about auto insurance coverages like acts of God. Or read our frequently asked questions below for more information on coverage for these events.
Possibly. It depends on your policy and your provider.
If your car insurance policy covers acts of God (i.e., natural disasters), the insurer is liable to pay for property damage caused by such an event. If your car insurance doesn’t cover acts of God, the insured person is liable to pay for the damages out of pocket.
Fixing hail damage on a car may or may not be worthwhile. It may be worth doing if the damage costs more than your comprehensive deductible. But if the damage is more costly than 50 to 60 percent of your car’s actual cash value, you may be better off declaring the car a total loss and replacing it instead of repairing it.
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