GREENSBORO, N.C. — On a day like Tuesday, with all the rain, the wind, and the standing water, crashes are not an if but a when.
In NC, drivers are only required to have Liability coverage. This means if the driver hits someone else's car or property, there is insurance to pay for it. But if you only have Liability and you get in a crash that damages your car, you'll be paying out of pocket to fix it.
"Liability does not pay for damage to your automobile in any way. Comprehensive and Collision, which we call Full coverage is what pays for damage caused by a limb falling on it, a tree falling on it, hail, flood, or a single-car crash," said Christopher Cook of Alliance Insurance Services.
If you get into a fender bender and the other driver wants to simply exchange information, Cook says it's best to get a police report or have a witness that can document what happened.
What if your car is parked somewhere and the rain is just coming down and a tree limb falls on your car? You don't have Comprehensive coverage, so the damage isn't covered. Is the apartment complex or shopping center on the hook to fix it?
"When you're driving down the road and there's a hail storm, do you look up at Mother Nature or God or whatever you believe and say I need you to pay for the damage? That's not how it works. You buy insurance because things happen in life. Unless the apartment landlord is negligent in some way, they're not responsible," said Cook.
Whether there's damage to your car or your home you want to document what happened. The best way is to take pictures or video. This way you have what it looked like for your insurance agent and you can begin the process of calling for estimates to make repairs.