My Car Was Damaged in a Riot – Now What?
If a riot breaks out in your town, your first thought probably has to do with the safety of your belongings. Acts of vandalism can be very costly to repair, and if your vehicle is parked in an area where there is rioting, you may wonder if your auto insurance policy would pay for damages.
Civil Disturbances and Riots: What Is the Difference?
A civil disturbance is any disruption –peaceful or otherwise – to normal social behavior in a community. In most cases, a civil disturbance is in response to a circumstance or system that individuals believe to be unjust and includes marches, strikes and protests.
A well-planned protest is unlikely to turn violent, but sometimes, after the organized event ends or if calm conversation is overwhelmed by anger, riots and rebellions may break out. A riot occurs when a mob is out of control and violent. Riots generally involve the destruction of personal or public property, including stores, restaurants, religious buildings, state-owned buildings and vehicles.
Riots and Auto Insurance
No one wants to be victims of property damage resulting from rioting, and fortunately, auto insurance companies already have provisions for this risk in their coverage options. In fact, there is no need to purchase separate riot, vandalism and civil commotion coverage; if you have comprehensive auto insurance, you most likely have this coverage.
It is important to note that if you want your vehicle to be covered in the event of riot-related vandalism, you need to purchase the necessary auto insurance coverage before your vehicle is vandalized, not after. Auto insurance coverage is not retroactive, meaning that it does not cover damage that occurs before you sign up for the policy. Wrongly claiming that your car was vandalized while it was insured when it was actually damaged before your policy date is insurance fraud, which can have very serious consequences.
Does My Auto Insurance Cover Damage from Riots?
If you have state-minimum coverage, then your auto insurance policy does not cover you for damage done to your vehicle during a riot. In Nevada, only liability coverage is required, which only covers damage physical bodily harm and property damage done to the other driver if you are responsible for an accident. If you have comprehensive auto insurance, also known as “comp”, your policy covers losses that do not result from a collision, such as fire, wind, flooding, hail, theft or vandalism, including vandalism related to rioting. With this type of auto insurance coverage on your policy, your policy covers vandalism from riots, minus your deductible, up to your policy limit.
Getting Comprehensive Auto Insurance with Nevada Insurance Enrollment
If you do not have comprehensive auto insurance coverage, you may end up paying for damage to your car completely out of pocket, even if the damage is not your fault. At Nevada Insurance Enrollment, our auto insurance agents specialize in helping you recognize coverage gaps in your policy. We can help you review your auto insurance coverage and add affordable comprehensive coverage if necessary so that you can avoid unexpected expenses.
Recent Posts
Windshield / Glass Coverage
Windshield / glass coverage pays the amount of a covered glass loss, and as an added perk, it has a low deductible. Your insurer will cover the full costs of the repairs up to your policy limit, and as long as the costs of the damages don’t exceed your coverage limit, you’ll pay only your small deductible.
Term Life Insurance vs. Whole Life Insurance
Term life insurance policies will often have terms of one year to 30 years. Typically, the monthly premium (monthly payment) stays the same throughout the term of the policy. Whole life insurance provides coverage your whole life and it includes something called “cash value”. Think of it like a mini savings account attached to the policy.
Rental Reimbursement vs. K4 or K5 Coverage
Rental reimbursement would reimburse you for either your daily rental charges or your policy limit, whichever is less. It can be used after any covered collision or comprehensive loss (assuming you carry collision and comprehensive coverage). K4 and K5 coverage can also help with post-accident “loss-of-use” costs.