Determining If You Need Sinkhole Coverage For Your Car
A sinkhole is an incident where the ground opens up underneath, creating a hole. If you are in your car when the sinkhole forms, your car can become damaged and you might suffer injuries. This might seem like a far-fetched scenario, but if you live in a location where water beneath the surface dissolves the rock, the rocks will no longer be present to support the weight of the surface. Under these circumstances, you will need to know whether your auto insurance policy will cover sinkholes.
Warning Signs And Avoiding Sinkholes
If you are in an area prone to sinkholes, you should look for the warning signs that a sinkhole is about to occur. A coming sinkhole will have drooping trees nearby. When the tree leans in one direction or another, this can indicate that the ground is unstable. Also, you might notice cracks, voids and unexplained pools of water. The geographic activity leads to a depression in the ground cover that is visible to the naked eye.
Sinkhole Damage Coverage
When your car is damaged by a sinkhole, comprehensive coverage pays for the repairs to the vehicle that are the result of the sinkhole damage. However, damage caused by sinkholes needs to be covered in the policy. Some policies make sinkhole damage coverage optional.
How Sinkholes Are Classified
Naturally occurring sinkholes are viewed in the same way as earthquakes and other forms of ground movement. This causes them to not be covered by standard homeowner's insurance. However, this is not necessarily the case with auto insurance.
If You Are Injured
If you are not covered for sinkholes, the incident would only lead to a payout if you were in the car when it happened and were injured. Then, you would receive compensation to cover your medical bills. Your car falling into a sinkhole while you are in it can lead to serious injuries. Especially common are head, neck, back and chest injuries. However, any part of the body can become injured.
Determining Whether You Should Add Coverage
It can be difficult to determine whether you should add sinkhole coverage to your car insurance. The additional coverage is a cautious move, but it may unnecessarily increase your premiums. However, sinkhole coverage is often part of several other forms of coverage and can be affordable when bundled in. Not all insurance policies offer sinkhole coverage (contact a local provider, such as Nordic Services Inc, for further assistance), but those areas that are prone to them are often required by state law to include sinkhole coverage as an option.