It was a windy evening in Bandar Puchong Jaya when a huge tree fell on several cars parked in front of a building. That scared the residents so much that many of them woke up to see what’s happening. One of the residents noticed that the tree fell on her vehicle and damaged it. She said that she is thankful no one was in the car at that moment. This is the most recent case, but it is not uncommon that trees fall on cars. Fortunately, it often occurs when vehicles are parked, which means drivers are not behind the wheel. That is the vital thing, but it doesn’t change the fact that the tree damaged your car. Do you have the right to file a claim to the insurance company and receive compensation for the damages? That is what we are trying to clarify in this article.
Can I Claim For Damage If A Tree Falls On My Vehicle?
Yes, there are insurance policies that allow you to file a claim for damage in these situations. We will focus on two different policy types that exist:
- Third-party
- Comprehensive
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. If you have a third-party insurance policy, there is no way for you to claim the damage from a fallen trees. The nature of these policies is that they don’t cover special perils, which means you need to look for an alternative. If you have a comprehensive policy, there are still other conditions to fulfill before filing a claim. Apart from a comprehensive insurance deal, it would help if you also had an add-on that covers special perils. That means the comprehensive policy doesn’t cover damages from fallen trees by default. Your only option is to acquire a Special Perils add on. That will protect you in case of damages from rainstorms, windstorms, floods, landslides, earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, landslip, and subsidence. Tree damage usually falls in one of these categories, which is why you can file the claim based on this add-on.
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How Much It Costs to Acquire A Special Perils Add-On?
It depends on the insurance agency, but this additional premium should be around 0.5% of your insured coverage sum. For example, if your sum insured is placed at RM100,000, you will have to pay RM500 yearly for this add-on. That is not a huge expense, which is why you should consider it. That is particularly true if you live in areas where strong wind is a common occurrence or park in a neighborhood filled with trees.
Do I Have Any Alternative For Damage Compensation?
If a tree fell on your car, you can try an alternative way of filing a damage claim. The experts suggest asking the local authorities to compensate you for the damage. The idea is that the authorities didn’t do an excellent job of maintaining the trees and pruning branches, which is what caused the fall. However, please note that you might need to pay for the damage first, and consider asking for compensation. Try to establish from which property the tree fell on your vehicle. In some cases, that will be private property. That will give you an option to file a claim against the property owner.
