Whether you were parked underneath a tree on a windy day or left your car parked outside for a long period of time and came back to find a tree or large branch on your vehicle, the result is probably not pleasant; but don’t panic. Hopefully, you have proper vehicle insurance coverage in place.
Note that your liability insurance does not cover anything that can be considered an “act of God”.
Fallen Tree Damage
Parking your car outside on a regular basis leaves your car susceptible to a greater risk of damage. A common contributor to property damage is falling trees due to heavy wind and snowstorms.
Comprehensive New Jersey personal auto insurance will repair damages to both fallen trees due to wind and snow, along with other forms of storm damage such as hail damage. You will want to contact your provider immediately after you notice this damage has occurred. Be sure to secure coverage to cover the cost of repairs on your vehicle. Falling objects are often unavoidable, which is why comprehensive insurance is used for this incident.
How Do I Handle Tree Damage With My Insurer?
It is your responsibility to take plenty of photos and document everything you can on the scene. It is best to capture different angles of the same thing, as well. Then, you will want to file the claim with your New Jersey personal auto insurance provider as soon as possible.
You can ask your insurance agent or the claims representative if there are any ways to speed up the claims process, since you will probably be in a hurry to get your car back up and running.
The photos that you take of the tree on the vehicle will likely be very helpful in your case and allow assistance to begin working on removing the tree and possibly having the vehicle towed. It is strongly recommended to use the preferred and approved body shop of your New Jersey auto insurance provider to help speed up the process even more.
It is quite obvious that objects falling on your car can cause a lot of damage, so keep in mind that the best preventive protection for your vehicle would be to store it in a garage. Of course, that is not always possible, however if you seem to park your vehicle outside near trees often, it is important to consider adding comprehensive coverage to your car insurance policy so you will be protected against a loss.
About Provident Protection Plus
At Provident Protection Plus, we have served the businesses and residents of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania for more than 65 years. We are a wholly-owned subsidiary of Provident Bank, the region’s premier banking institution, and we are prepared to offer you personal, business, employee benefits, and risk management solutions. To learn more about our coverage options, contact our specialists today at (888) 990-0526.