Does Car Insurance Cover Personal Items in the Vehicle?

You buy car insurance because you want to protect your vehicle from numerous hazards that might damage or destroy it. Plus, after tailoring your plan appropriately, you can also cover the injuries that you and your passengers sustain in a wreck. Therefore, your plan will be instrumental in minimizing your personal financial losses from accidents.

One place where you might be surprised to learn that your plan won’t cover you is when it comes to personal items carried within the car. Even though your plan might pay for your car’s physical damage, it won’t cover the possessions inside. Only in a couple of scenarios might you be able to buy supplementary coverage for these losses.

Car Insurance and Damage to Personal Possessions

You use your car to transport luggage and other possessions all the time. However, these possessions are as susceptible to wreck damage as any other property. They just happen to be in your car when the accident occurs. Still, one hole where car insurance won’t apply to your own property damage is when it comes to personal possessions within the vehicle.

Suppose, for example, that when you go shopping, you leave some purchases in the back seat of the car. Someone might spot these items and decide to break in and steal them. As a result, not only might your car sustain damage, but you’ll also be out a significant amount of money for your lost possessions. However, you won’t be able to claim these damages on your auto policy.

Instead, you might find that your homeowners insurance will pay for these losses. Under homeowners policies, you’ll likely have personal possessions coverage. Most plans will cover possessions both on your property and when you take them off the premises. Therefore, it is this plan, rather than your car insurance that might cover the stolen items.

On the other hand, there are certain circumstances when your plan might cover possessions within the vehicle. For example, if you have added special features or appliances to the car, such as a custom stereo system, you might be able to cover your losses. Still, you might have to add a custom parts endorsement to your standard policy to be able to receive coverage for these items. Generally, your standard auto policy will only cover manufacturer parts included with the vehicle.

Don’t hesitate to work with your Ramey Insurance agent to determine the best way to insure personal possessions that you might carry in your vehicle. We’ll help you enroll in optimized homeowners and auto insurance benefits that are designed to protect your personal assets in the best possible ways.

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