Strange but True Auto Insurance Claim

My first year in the insurance business was notable for a number of reasons but this claim has been among the strangest that I have ever experienced.  It seems that our customer was taking a shotgun out of his pickup truck and dropped the gun.  Either while attempting to catch the gun or upon the gun’s collision with the pavement, the shotgun discharged shooting pellets into the cab of the pickup.

The customer came into the office the next day to take care of some insurance matters and described the damage that had happened to the pickup’s interior.  The pellets had messed up the head liner, dashboard, and the seat coverings.  I was a new agent and heard the story and immediately recognized the event as an automobile “comp” claim.

Comprehensive (Comp) coverage on an automobile policy is very broad and covers many weird incidents.  It is now known on most policies as “other than collision” or OTC and provides coverage for flood, vandalism, hail, wind, and theft.  It also provides coverage for everything that is not excluded!

Yep, you guessed it.  Shooting your own pickup with a shotgun is covered as long as it wasn’t intentionally done by the insured.  And yes, the insurance company paid for a new interior with the insured only having to pay his deductible.

So if you ever shoot your car…accidentally, just call your friendly neighborhood agent and tell him that its an “other than collision” claim.  I hope that IF that day occurs, you’re a client of Hettler Insurance.  Call us to see how reasonably we can cover your vehicles at 806-798-7800 or visit www.hettlerinsurance.com for more information on our agency.