After reading this, you will understand: If you hit and kill a dog while driving, will your insurance pay for it?

It is not uncommon to hit cats and dogs while driving. A relatively controversial accident once occurred: a milk delivery driver in Zhejiang did not stop after hitting and killing a dog. He was eventually deemed to have hit and run. As a result, he was fined 2,000 yuan, deducted 12 points, and was compensated 3,500 yuan.

As soon as the news came out, many netizens complained on behalf of the driver, saying that the fine was too heavy. Will insurance cover if a dog is killed by a car? What is the standard of compensation?

What types of insurance can provide compensation?

First, open your insurance policy and check the insurance provisions inside. There are three types of insurance that can compensate for the death of cats, dogs and other animals: compulsory traffic insurance, third-party liability insurance and third-party insurance without deductibles.

1. Compulsory traffic insurance

In the terms of the compulsory traffic accident liability insurance for motor vehicles, Article 8 clearly states that if a traffic accident occurs while the insured is using an insured motor vehicle, causing the victim to suffer personal injury or property loss, the insured shall bear the damages according to law. The insurer (insurance company) shall be responsible for compensation within the compensation limit for each accident in accordance with the compulsory traffic insurance contract.

In other words, dogs or cats are classified as property losses. If they are killed or injured, and the car owner is claimed by the owner of the cat or dog, the car owner can activate the traffic insurance for compensation. The maximum limit of compensation for such property losses is 2,000 yuan.

For example, the driver who killed a dog in 2015 needed to pay 3,500 yuan in compensation. If he purchased compulsory traffic insurance, the 3,500 yuan could be offset by 2,000 yuan, which means that the car owner only needed to pay 1,500 yuan.

2. Third-party liability insurance

The insurance liability of third-party liability insurance clearly states that if an accident occurs while the insured motor vehicle is being used by the insured or its authorized legal driver, resulting in a third party suffering personal injury or direct property loss, the insured shall pay compensation in accordance with the law. The insurer shall, in accordance with the original insurance contract, compensate for the part exceeding the compensation limit of each component of the compulsory motor vehicle traffic accident liability insurance.

It can be summed up in four words: transfer risks. Let’s take the accident at the beginning of the article as an example. The car owner will pay an additional 1,500 yuan in compensation. If he purchases third-party liability insurance, the car owner can pass on the cost of compensation out of his own pocket to the insurance company.

3. Third-party insurance does not include deductibles

Can the insurance company compensate all out-of-pocket expenses? It depends on the situation. After all, there is a deductible clause in the insurance company's contract. The insurer (i.e., the insurance company) shall implement the accident liability deductible rate within the amount that meets the compensation regulations based on the proportion of liability borne by the insured motor vehicle party in the accident.

According to the insurance terms, if the insured is fully responsible, 20% will be deducted, if the insured is primarily responsible, 15% will be deducted, if the insured is equally responsible, 10% will be deducted, if minor liability is 5%, full compensation will be paid; in addition, after an insured accident occurs, if the insured motor vehicle exceeds the designated area or has a designated driver other than that specified in the insurance contract, the absolute deductible rate will be increased by 10% respectively.

Only by purchasing an additional "three-party liability insurance excluding deductible special insurance (or "special service")" can the car owner offset the 20% deductible rate. Third party non-deductible insurance refers to a type of insurance in which, after a special agreement, the insured is responsible for compensating for the deductible that should be borne by the insured in accordance with the deductible rate stipulated in the corresponding main insurance clause after the insured event occurs.

In other words, if the car owner purchases the three-party liability insurance without deductibles, the insurance company will also help pay for the 20% deductible rate of the 1,500 yuan, and the car owner does not have to pay a penny.

Are there any circumstances in which compensation will not be compensated?

The above mentioned many types of insurance for compensation after hitting a cat or dog, but why did the driver at the beginning only receive a maximum of 2,000 yuan in compensation?

Because the car owner was determined to have escaped from a traffic accident. The terms of the third-party insurance clearly state that the insurance company is not responsible for compensation in the event of a hit-and-run accident; the third-party insurance does not include deductibles and is of no use. Therefore, the driver can only receive up to 2,000 yuan in compensation, and all other expenses must be paid by the car owner.

What should you do immediately after hitting and killing a cat or dog?

Some people will say that after hitting a dog, you need to find out whether there is a dog license or a dog leash before you can judge whether to compensate. Keke, this idea is too naive. You should be responsible if you hit a dog, especially if you hit an animal with an owner. Whether the compensation is more or less depends on the mood of the dog owner. The best way is to call 110 and the insurance company for help.

Whether you hit a cat, dog, pig or other animal, you must treat it as if you hit a human. If it is a pet dog, park the car under the premise of ensuring safety, and do not try to argue with the dog owner about what is right and wrong. If you encounter an overbearing dog owner, it will be more troublesome to solve the problem. It is best to call the police and wait for the traffic police to come and deal with it.

The last point is: Never drive away, otherwise the consequences may be a traffic accident, and this responsibility will be greater in comparison! It's bad enough to hit a cat or dog, but if you add the charge of hit-and-run, it's you who will suffer the consequences