Are Pets Covered in Car Accidents?

People often take their pets for car rides, whether it's a jaunt to the park or a trip to the vet, but what happens if you get into an accident and your pet is injured?

If the accident wasn't your fault, the other driver's insurance will most likely cover your pet with its property damage liability (PD) coverage. Under most insurance policies, your pet's injuries will only be covered if you were not at fault in the accident. Progressive takes pet injury coverage one step further and will cover your pet regardless of fault — more on that later.

It may seem insensitive to consider the four-legged members of your family as property, but insurance policies designate bodily injury coverage for humans only. All other damages in an accident — including your pet's injuries — are considered property damage.

The good news: Pets are indeed covered in accidents. However, specific restrictions apply with most insurance companies — namely that the at-fault person's insurance is liable for pet injuries. So, if you rear-end someone else and your pet is hurt in the process, your PD liability insurance will not cover harm to your pet.

The better news: Progressive offers Pet Injury coverage built into our Collision coverage, which means your pets are covered, even if an accident is your fault.

Pet Injury Coverage, Exclusively From Progressive

Progressive recognizes the importance of your pet, and we've taken extra measures to make sure injuries your dog or cat may sustain in an accident are covered —regardless of fault — with Pet Injury coverage.

If you have Collision coverage on your Progressive policy, up to $500 of our exclusive Pet Injury coverage is automatically included. No other insurance company offers this, and what makes this coverage unique is that it protects your pets in accidents, even if they're your fault.

If you can use your Collision coverage for your claim, you can use the built-in Pet Injury coverage for your pet, too.

There's no extra cost for this coverage, either. As long as you have Collision coverage on your Progressive policy, you have Pet Injury coverage. You can drive easier knowing that your pets are covered if they, too, are hurt in an accident.

To recap: With most companies, pets are covered under liability insurance. Keep in mind, though, that you cannot be at fault for the accident in these cases. Progressive takes an extra step to protect your pets — regardless of who's at fault — with our exclusive Pet Injury coverage, which is built into your Collision coverage at no extra cost. If you use Collision coverage for a covered accident, your pets are covered, too. [via]