Does Car Insurance Cover Hitting a Deer or an Animal?

Hitting a deer or other animal is covered by the comprehensive portion of your car insurance, not collision coverage. This surprises many drivers.

Why comprehensive and not collision: - Comprehensive covers damage from events outside your control that aren't collisions with another vehicle or object — including animals, theft, vandalism, fire, and weather. - Collision covers damage when you hit another car or a stationary object like a guardrail or tree.

So if a deer runs into your path and you strike it, that's a comprehensive claim. However, if you swerve to avoid the deer and hit a tree or another car instead, that becomes a collision claim — which is an important distinction because the deductibles and how it affects your record can differ.

What you'll pay: Your comprehensive deductible (often $250–$500) applies. The insurer pays the rest of the repair cost above that.

Does it raise your rates? Comprehensive claims for animal strikes are generally considered 'not-at-fault' and typically have less impact on your premium than at-fault collision claims, though policies vary by insurer and state.

If you only carry liability insurance (the state minimum), you have no coverage for hitting an animal — you'd pay for all repairs yourself.