Rodent Damage and Car Insurance

angrycrow

Normally damage caused by animals not your own is covered. For example passing horse kicks the car is covered, neighbours dog jumping up at the car and scratching it with claws would be covered. Can't see why rodent damage would not be covered.

Assuming the engine damage is due to over heating you will need to evidence that the coolant pipe was indeed damaged by an animal and it is not just mechanical failure which would not be covered. The second hurdle is then proving that the secondary damage happened immediately and was unavoidable. Most modern cars warn of loss of coolant or over heating well before damage occurs, there are exceptions like the current ford 1.0l turbo engines which appear to be destroyed the moment they run low on coolant. You will need to show you pulled over and turned off the engine the moment it became apparent there was an issue.

misswansea

This happened to a friend of mine, insurance paid for a whole new wiring loom as it was covered as animal damage.

Definitely worth asking

atrixblue.-MFR-.

A rodent was living in my cousins Q5, insurance paid out instead of repairing it.

Retrogamer

The insurance might have replaced the pipes but i doubt they will want to pay for the engine damage.

That would have happened due to the car overheating, which usually only happens when drivers don't keep an eye on the temp gauge.

custardy

Retrogamer wrote: »

The insurance might have replaced the pipes but i doubt they will want to pay for the engine damage.

That would have happened due to the car overheating, which usually only happens when drivers don't keep an eye on the temp gauge.

Assuming they have one.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

custardy wrote: »

Assuming they have one.

Modern cars don't have one, but you will get warnings emblazoned all over the display when they don't.

The problem is that modern cars are so reliable that people don't know how to react to a problem when it happens. It's not so long ago, when faults were the norm in a car rather than the exception.

custardy

IanMSpencer wrote: »

Modern cars don't have one, but you will get warnings emblazoned all over the display when they don't.

The problem is that modern cars are so reliable that people don't know how to react to a problem when it happens. It's not so long ago, when faults were the norm in a car rather than the exception.

With no coolant and (for example) a high speed motorway run it is easy to have done the damage before you can safely get off the carriageway.

G_M

tykesi wrote: »

If it doesn’t say in your documents I’m not sure why you think anyone here can help. Surely you would be better phoning LV to ask them?

Hmmmm.... I wonder which side they'll come down on?

Rather than 'ask them', do a bit more research and then 'claim from' them.