You’ve probably seen your fair share of online videos that showcase the shocking results of vehicles crashing into private homes or businesses. They might seem comical, even, until they happen to you. 

Vehicles that crash into houses can cause significant property damage (to both dwellings and the possessions inside), not to mention substantial harm to anyone who might be in their path. In any scenario, you must react quickly, and you might find yourself wondering if your home insurance will cover you. 

How To React When Someone Drives Into Your Home 

If a car suddenly appears in your living room, then your priority is of course to make sure everyone is safe, and then to call 911. Later however, when the time comes to file an insurance claim for the damage, you might not immediately know where to start. 

When someone drives into your house, then the damage is going to be their fault. After all, the house didn’t walk out into the road and hit the car. As a result, they are the party who will generally be on the line for paying for your damage. If they have property damage liability insurance on their auto policy (which nearly all drivers nationwide are required to have), then they will be able to compensate you. 

The limitation to liability coverage, however, is the limit on how much coverage it will actually provide. States only require comparatively low levels of liability coverage. They might not prove adequate in covering the full extent of your damage if that is all the coverage that an at-fault driver has. 

In this case, you may need to file a lawsuit against the other party to recover the funds. Unfortunately, this may not be successful, however. 

Still, some homeowners insurance policies can come in handy in these cases. Your plan might contain special clauses that allow you to claim damage on your own plan when an uninsured or underinsured driver causes damage. Others explicitly list vehicles as a covered type of hazard, so you can make a claim for damage if the need ever arises. 

You Caused the Damage 

If you cause damage to your home by accidentally hitting it with your car, then your insurance needs will be limited entirely to your own insurance policies.  

In such a scenario, your auto insurance will cover damage to the vehicle, provided you have collision coverage on the policy. However, your homeowners insurance will cover damage to the house itself. You might have to file a claim against both your dwelling and possessions coverage, depending on the extent of damage done. 

This is a pretty embarrassing scenario, but your insurance is there to help you just in case accidents like this ever happen. And they happen a lot more often than you might think. Ask questions. Call your agent right away after such an event. He or she is there to guide you in filing a claim for funds owed to you.