Will Insurance Cover Me If a Car Crashes into My House?

By The Husband and Wife Law Team on May 10, 2017

It can be shocking when a car crashes into your house—don’t even get us started on the damages. As a homeowner, the first thing you’ll want to know is how any property damage can be fixed, and what those repairs are going to cost you. Luckily, insurance companies exist for reasons like this, and it may be possible for homeowners to recoup their costs through insurance.

Car Insurance

If someone has crashed into your house, their car insurance company will be responsible for the costs of any injuries or property damage. But it’s not always that simple.

One problem is that insurance companies have maximum limits on their policies, even if their insured driver has caused property damage worth more than that amount. So if that maximum policy is only $30,000 and your total property damage amounts to $50,000, you-the-homeowner will need to pay the remaining $20,000.

Sometimes homeowners accidentally crash into their own homes, whether due to vehicle malfunction, a garage door that didn’t open properly, or other reasons. These cases work on the same principle, with their car insurance policies covering as much as the limit will allow. In these cases, however, the policyholder will still need to pay a deductible.

Homeowners Insurance

In instances where an at-fault driver’s car insurance does not cover the full amount of the property damage, your homeowners insurance policy may kick in to cover any remaining costs. These policies also have deductibles, meaning that you will have to pay some costs out-of-pocket, even if you were not at fault for the accident.

Uninsured Motorists

When another person crashes into your house, and they don’t have car insurance—or enough car insurance to cover the damage—you may think you’re out of options. However, that’s not always the case.

The best hope homeowners have in these cases is the uninsured or underinsured coverage on their own car insurance policy. These types of policies cover the damage caused by other drivers who don’t have insurance of their own.

Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t realize the need for underinsured insurance until it’s too late, and they aren’t covered for a car-hitting-house incident under their own insurance. In these cases a private lawsuit can be filed by the homeowner against the driver in order to seek compensation. This can be difficult, since drivers who can’t afford insurance don’t always have the assets to compensate for the damage.

If a driver has crashed into your house and caused extensive personal or property damage, contact the lawyers at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. at (602) 457-6222 to speak with a live representative who can help you with your case.