Lightning is one of Nature’s most magnificent, yet destructive forces. An average bolt of lightning can contain as much as 10 billion watts of power. When lightning strikes a house or tree, it can cause devastating damage and fire.

But what about your car? If you are unfortunate enough to have your vehicle get hit by lightning, will your insurance company pay for the damage? Even though lightning strikes to cars are quite rare, let’s review some safety tips to remember should you be caught in a storm while driving, as well as how your insurance would cover such a claim if a strike actually occurred.

Even though the chance of lightning hitting your car is minimal, here are some things to do if you happen to be driving during a lightning storm.

• Get Off The Road – If you feel that lightning is nearby, it is best to pull over to a safe spot. After you park, do not touch any part of the car that is connected to the vehicle’s outside structure.
• Put Your Flashers On – During storms, the sky can get dark quickly, which can reduce other motorists’ ability to see you. Turning on your hazard lights is a good way to alert drivers to your presence, in addition to your headlights.

• Do Not Touch Metal – While waiting in your car for a lightning storm to pass, be careful not to touch any metal objects, such as the door handle, gear shift, dashboard or any other metallic surface located on the inside of the vehicle. Should your car be hit, being in contact with metal could cause you to be an involuntary conductor of electricity, as the lightning attempts to find a way to reach the ground.

Will My Auto Insurance Pay For A Lightning Strike?

Comprehensive Coverage Is Key

The simple answer to this is that it depends on the type of insurance you have. With most personal auto policies, there are usually three kinds of coverage; Liability, Collision and Comprehensive. Liability insurance will pay for the personal injury and/or property damage of a third party as a result of a covered accident.

Collision insurance covers any physical damage to your vehicle, due to a collision with another car or object, such as a tree or fire hydrant. A comprehensive policy pays for damage to a vehicle caused by something other than a collision. Should your car ever be hit by lightning, your comprehensive coverage would respond, if you purchased the policy.

While liability insurance is mandatory nearly everywhere, collision and comprehensive coverage is optional, unless you have a loan on your car and are making monthly payments. Drivers that do not have a collision/comprehensive policy would be left paying out of pocket for any damage to their vehicle caused by a lightning strike.

So What Should Your Do If Your Car is Hit By Lightning

In conclusion, hopefully nobody ever has to go through the scary experience of their vehicle being hit by lightning. If you do find yourself stuck in your car during a storm, these safety tips can be very helpful. In addition, talk to your insurance company about purchasing collision/comprehensive coverage along with a liability policy.

If you are interested in learning more about additional coverage to handle comprehensive issues, visit Insure on the Spot! Free auto insurance quotes in just 2 minutes !