If your auto policy includes comprehensive coverage, you may be protected in the event of a lightning strike, minus your deductible. Non-collision occurrences such as theft, vandalism, and severe weather, including lightning strikes, are all covered under comprehensive coverage. If you don’t have comprehensive insurance, you won’t be covered if lightning strikes, and you’ll have to pay for any repairs yourself.
Your insurance will give you a check for the cost of repairs if the damage is covered and your claim is approved. If your vehicle is considered a total loss (also known as totaled) because it is not repairable, they will pay you the real monetary value of your vehicle.
What should I do if my car is struck by lightning?
If your car is struck by lightning and you have comprehensive coverage, you should make an auto insurance claim as quickly as possible. Physical damage from lightning is easy to identify, but electrical problems are more difficult to link to a lightning strike. If you feel your car has been damaged by lightning but were not present during the hit, you should have a mechanic inspect it straight away to document any problems. You may also explore gathering weather data or storm reports to demonstrate that the mechanic’s troubles were caused by a thunderstorm. This additional information may make getting your claim authorized easier.
What happens if my car gets hit by lightning?
Do your car’s rubber tires protect you if you’re outside the vehicle and leaning on it? NO! When thunderstorms are present, anything outside, including cars, is at risk of being struck by lightning, just like trees, houses, and people. The good news is that when the windows are closed, the hard-top metal vehicle’s outside metal shell provides protection to passengers within. Unfortunately, the car does not always perform as expected.
A typical cloud-to-ground, or rather, cloud-to-vehicle, lightning strike will strike the vehicle’s antenna or the roofline. The lightning will then strike the vehicle’s outside metal shell, then the tires, and finally the earth.
Although each lightning strike is unique, antenna, electrical system, back windshield, and tire damage are all frequent. The heat from a lightning strike can partially melt a vehicle’s antenna and generate what appears to be a little explosion of sparks as tiny metal bits melt and burn. A portion of the discharge may enter the vehicle’s electrical system, causing damage or destruction to electronic components and perhaps rendering the vehicle inoperable. The lightning could also strike the little defrosting wires installed in the back windows, shattering them. Finally, as lightning goes through the steel belts to the ground, it is highly typical for one or more tires to be destroyed. It’s also possible that the lightning will start a fire, destroying the car.
Are you insured for lightning strike?
Buildings insurance often protects your property from natural disasters such as lightning and earthquakes, but each insurer is different. Before you buy, double-check what is covered.
The largest earthquake ever recorded in the United Kingdom occurred in 1931, with a Richter magnitude of 6.1. Significant earthquakes have been observed in recent years, including one in Lincolnshire in 2008 (with a magnitude of 5.2) and another in South Wales in 2018. (with a magnitude of 4.6). So, even if the risk isn’t high, it’s always a good idea to know where you stand.
Does liability cover lightning?
The short answer is that it depends on what kind of insurance you have. Most personal auto insurance policies include three types of coverage: liability, collision, and comprehensive. Liability insurance covers a third party’s bodily harm and/or property damage caused by a covered accident.
Collision insurance protects your vehicle from physical damage caused by a collision with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or a fire hydrant. A comprehensive policy covers damage to a vehicle that is not caused by an accident. If you obtained comprehensive coverage, your car would be covered if it was ever struck by lightning.
While liability insurance is almost universally required, collision and comprehensive coverage is optional unless you have a car loan with monthly payments. Without a collision/comprehensive policy, drivers would be responsible for any damage to their car caused by a lightning strike.
Is a car the safest place to be during lightning?
A car’s rubber tires shield you from lightning by isolating you from the ground.
Fact: Most cars are safe against lightning, but the metal top and sides, not the rubber tires, protect you. Convertibles, motorbikes, bicycles, open-shelled outdoor leisure vehicles, and cars with fiberglass shells do not provide lightning protection. When lightning strikes a vehicle, it enters the earth through the metal frame. During a thunderstorm, avoid leaning against doors.
Avoid driving in a thunderstorm
In a thunderstorm, the safest way to drive is to not drive at all. A typical thunderstorm lasts about 30 minutes. If you are aware that a storm is approaching, it is highly recommended that you remain in your current position and wait it out. If you’re driving through a thunderstorm, the safest thing to do is use your emergency brakes and pull over to the side of the road to wait it out.
Safety tips for driving in a thunderstorm
Waiting it out isn’t always possible, so most drivers opt to rough it instead. If you absolutely must or insist on driving in a storm, be mindful of the risks.
Dangers of driving in a thunderstorm
Expect to see very little of what’s in front of you if you’re driving in a storm. It’ll be pouring rain, so you won’t be able to see the automobile in front of you very well.
During a rainstorm, your car will have very little traction due to the rain. This means that braking will take longer and you will have less overall control of the vehicle.
During a thunderstorm, standing bodies of water may form on the road. Drive with extreme caution through these areas, as even two feet of water may easily wash most cars off the road. These puddles can also deceive the sight, as even a tiny amount of water that looks to be safe could conceal muck, a pothole, or a dangerous depth.
One of the most serious dangers of a thunderstorm is the potential for calamity in its aftermath. Are you unsure what to do in the event of a flash flood? See How To Survive A Flash Flood In Your Car for more information.
Hail is another very real threat. It not only produces a lot of noise, but it can also cause damage to your car.
While being in your automobile (apart from walled and roofed dwellings) is one of the safest places to wait out a storm, lightning carries more threats than just electrocution. If lightning hits close to you, particularly at night, you may experience temporary blindness, which is especially dangerous if you’re driving in already hazardous conditions. It’s also capable of starting fires and bringing down electrical lines.
The wind might jolt your car during heavy thunderstorms, prompting you to keep a tight grip on the steering wheel to prevent ending up in the grass or in the wrong lane.
This strong wind brings with it the objects it can transport. During a thunderstorm, tree branches and other diverse materials can be thrown into your car or its route.
Perhaps the greatest threat of all is this. Even when driving through a thunderstorm, you may encounter impatient drivers who tailgate, pass, or speed. You may also encounter worried drivers or simply more drivers as a result of traffic congestion. In a rainstorm, merely driving behind someone might become a risky endeavor due to limited traction and sight.
How to drive as safely as possible in a thunderstorm
This may sound self-explanatory, but it can be the difference between life and death if lightning is present, and being fully enclosed in the car can also assist drivers avoid distractions like rain or thunder.
Again, this should be self-evident. In typical driving conditions, speed limits should be reduced; nevertheless, in unusual weather, speed limits should be reduced.
It’s generally a good idea to leave room between yourself and the automobile in front of you, but when you’re driving through a storm, it’s a must.
Remember that visibility is low, and turning on your car lights is one of the best methods to be seen by other drivers.
You should also be mindful of local danger light rules; driving with hazard lights in the rain is forbidden in Florida and many other states. This is because the blinking lights might confuse drivers who are already driving dangerously, making it difficult to notice turn signals or stop lights.
During a thunderstorm, bridges are more likely to collapse, so wait until it passes before crossing one. Of course, if you’re not marching through a thunderstorm but toward a tornado, everything changes.
How to Drive through a Tornado
There are numerous deadly misunderstandings about driving and tornadoes. Instincts can lead us astray in this situation, so it’s crucial to know what to do and what not to do if you’re driving when a tornado strikes.
Do not try to outrun the tornado
When you see a funnel cloud tunneling down from a dark sky, it’s tempting to floor it. This, however, is not a sensible decision. The path of a tornado is unpredictable, and it can change directions at any time. It’s possible that you’re driving away from a tornado when it unexpectedly veers into your path. Tornadoes of the F1 category (the weakest) can have winds of up to 300 mph and speeds of up to 70 mph. Remember that the faster you travel, the easier it is for the tornado to move or lift your vehicle.
Pull your car onto the side of the road and seek shelter
If there are any nearby buildings, enter one and descend to the lowest level without windows. If you can’t find a suitable shelter, lie down at the lowest spot on the ground and cover your head with your hands. Avoid areas where trees or other objects could be picked up by the storm.
Do NOT seek shelter under a bridge or in a tunnel
This may appear to be the most reasonable option, yet it is a fatal mistake. Tunnels and bridges do not protect you from tornado winds since they lack four walls and have no barriers. Tunnels, on the other hand, may operate as a channel, increasing the wind speed of a tornado, making it a more dangerous location to be. Again, the ideal strategy is to avoid driving in these conditions, but if that isn’t possible, please drive safely and take as many safeguards as possible.
Is storm damage covered by insurance?
Storm damage is normally covered by most homeowner’s insurance policies, as long as the insurance provider is satisfied with the manner you’ve maintained your home.
You’ll almost always have to show proof of the state of your home before any damage occurred. If your roof has broken tiles as a result of storm damage, you’ll have to show your insurer that they weren’t already damaged due to normal wear and tear before the storm.
There can also be disagreements on what constitutes a’storm.’ The Beaufort scale is used by several insurers to assess whether or not to pay out on a claim. Most insurers will have a cut-off point below which they will not consider the damage to your building to have been caused by a’storm’ per se, and the scale places wind speeds on a scale of 0 to 12.
Does State Farm cover lightning strikes?
Structures, electronics, and home appliances can all be damaged by lightning at any time. The average claim expense for a lightning strike, according to State Farm’s 2020 claims statistics, is approximately $12,000. Ground surges are the most common lightning-related claim, and they can occur even if lightning strikes close to a residence, generating an electrical spike that can short out home electrical systems.
Is lightning a covered peril?
A lightning strike inside or outside your home might cause a fire, damage sensitive appliances, electronics, and wiring inside the walls, and even injure you while you’re inside. The good news is that lightning strikes and lightning-caused fire are both covered dangers in practically all homeowners insurance policies, with no exclusions. A conventional homeowner’s policy should additionally include
Will a car work after being struck by lightning?
Nothing should happen if you get out of the car once the lightning strike is over. The car’s body is comprised of metal, and the electrical charge from the lightning will have been carried into the earth by it.
Whether the engine is running or not makes no difference to your safety. However, the lightning’s high voltage may have damaged the car’s exterior, blistering paint and melting side mirrors.
The computer chips in the engine control systems of contemporary vehicles may be destroyed. If you’re driving in a thunderstorm, pull over to the side of the road and sit with your hands in your lap, avoiding touching door or window handles, radio dials, gearshift, or steering wheel everything that contains metal and is connected to the outside of the car. That way, if the automobile does get hit, you won’t be surprised.
Can lightning strike through a closed window?
Because glass is a good insulator, a direct hit on a window pane is extremely uncommon. A lightning strike on a house’s roof, on the other hand, will proceed along the building’s most conductive path. If it was close enough, it could potentially shatter a window.