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Stinger6actual t1_j3zzmxk wrote

It is comprehensive. Under commonwealth law accidents with deer are considered no fault and your rates cannot be raised as a result.

I hit a deer once and thought my rates would jump so paid out of pocket. Years later I was talking to my insurance agent (family friend) and she explained that I was silly to do so.

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AFD_0 t1_j400mhm wrote

Just curious, but would that also apply to hitting a dead deer carcass left in the middle of the road?

Several years back I ran over a brick that must've fallen off someone's truck and they wanted to write it up as a collision, since it wasn't a moving object. Thankfully it only trashed the tire which was cheaper than the deductible, but with our hilly and windy roads, some shit is just hard to spot until you're already on top of it.

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SomeOtherOrder t1_j41y0o2 wrote

No. If you hit a stationary object, that’s typically considered collision not comp.

The “brick fell off someone’s truck” situation is tough. The moment it touched the ground, it’s no longer considered a falling object or “missile” so comprehensive wouldn’t apply.

If it fell off the truck and landed on your hood or windshield, that would be considered comp.

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AdAntique5099 t1_j42ftrh wrote

I see a lot of upvotes on this, I could not get a straight answer from anyone at Progressive after 40+ min on the phone and 5 different resources. I'm going for it based on your feedback and that of others. What is the deal with Progressive being so elusive about what in my mind is a straight forward question? It was as if I were asking questions about quantum physics.

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sprcpr t1_j46404z wrote

They have a vested interest in not being straightforward. Also, their call centers aren't regional as far as I know. They are supposed to have service with specific state knowledge but I've found it sketchy at best.

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Allemaengel t1_j402q14 wrote

I've hit 14 deer and a horse over the years and it didn't increase the rate.

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calmlikeabomb26 t1_j40xij9 wrote

There are easier ways to hunt during deer season.

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Allemaengel t1_j40xve3 wrote

Yeah but I'm apparently destined to get my venison in the drive-thru.

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bk1285 t1_j41okki wrote

One year I missed 3 deer in the woods, and was driving home from a friends house during hunting season and hit a deer, called my dad to come help since I couldn’t open the hood, and to bring a knife since the deer was laying by the side of the road, wanted to end things quickly for her, dad shows up we pop the hood find the car is fine and I grab the knife to walk over to the deer, she jumped up and ran away like nothing had happened. My dad looks at me and said “you miss in the woods and then decide to throw your car at one and still can’t even kill it” in the most sarcastic tone I’ve ever heard him speak in

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brashendeavors t1_j40cjnw wrote

Hope that horse was not attached to a buggy ....

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Allemaengel t1_j40u624 wrote

No. It broke through a dilapidated fence and came down a bank, through brush, and onto the road in the dark/fog at the last minute. Of course it was wearing a dark blue horse blanket too.

Horse survived and was back in its pasture but my car was totaled, lol.

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AdAntique5099 t1_j41fbx1 wrote

This is our kids 4th deer. The first 3 were minor things I could fix with parts from the web and some gorilla tape :). This last one, disabled the vehicle. No airbag deployed or broken glass but the front passenger side / front clip / hood totally hosed

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Vast-Support-1466 t1_j40ncpo wrote

I feel like you might be capable of driving substantially safer. Just a thought.

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Allemaengel t1_j40tlb9 wrote

I have over 30 years driving experience, live in a hilly rural area with lots of deer in lots of brushy woods up against the road with blind curves, blind hills and banks/drop-off both sides. Little warning

Plus I have a 3-hour 120 mile roundtrip daily commute.

Add all that up and deer encounters gonna happen.

On the other hand I have no vehicular accidents ruled my fault, zero moving violations/speeding tickets and exactly one parking ticket.

So I drive "substantially safe". Know more about the person before making a judgment.

Just a thought.

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axeville t1_j417h1k wrote

A car crash every 2 years is an expensive commute!

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Allemaengel t1_j418njp wrote

No doubt. But no good jobs with good benefits where I am and no inexpensive real estate where my decent job is.

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Vast-Support-1466 t1_j41rpld wrote

The judgement was based on the stats presented before that explanation.

Realize...rEALIIZE...Real Eyes!

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Allemaengel t1_j41vbmz wrote

I didn't realize I had to type a book to avoid your off-the-cuff judgment.

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AdAntique5099 t1_j47y8g7 wrote

Kid was working eves and seems the deer are far more active, but yes- we have had the chat about looking ahead, drive defensive, etc. A lot of the time though can't be avoided. The last one, he said happened so fast he only had a chance to let off the pedal and never made it to the brake before impact. He is paying the deductible from his own money from working at a fast food place to get his whip back on the road.. they picked it up today. Curious if they total or repair it.

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BamitzSam101 t1_j4003f0 wrote

Yeah I got hit by a deer like 2 years ago now (the deer actually hit me 🤣) and it jacked up my door to the point it could only be opened from inside, my Insurance rate didn’t go up at all and it was about 5k worth of damage (needed a whole new door and I drive a buick so yikes 😬) so you should be fine. I would call your insurance and ask them if deer accidents are covered under comprehensive, can’t really raise your rate if you’re just calling to ask a question.

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ZaftigFeline t1_j40s8h5 wrote

Heh, when I had my deer / car incident we actually ended up with a police report that states absolutely - Deer Hit Car.

Damn thing jumped off an embankment and landed ON my hood.

Luckily I had a spare car, friends with a body shop, and money for beer and steaks which is how we got that car repaired without involving the insurance company.

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[deleted] OP t1_j416mgm wrote

>Damn thing jumped off an embankment and landed ON my hood.

Same thing happened to my brother. Deer jumped out of a roadside gully and landed on the car - crushed the hood, shattered the windshield, and caved-in part of the roof

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ZaftigFeline t1_j41x7t7 wrote

Yep, drainage ditch gully with an embankment along route 202 near the DE border. Ironically enough, right by one of the PenDOT Deer Crossing signs. We got lucky and it bounced off the hood back onto the road side, died immediately. I lost my hood, windshield, driver door, front and side panels etc. Frame was fine though. The cops who helped us load the carcass into a relative's pickup truck to be gutted and taken to the processor told us that somebody had died there a couple years ago when a foot went through the windshield and impaled them. We were hella lucky and we knew it.

For anybody wondering, when a deer jumps on your hood it does look exactly like those signs until impact at any rate. Everyone involved has about enough time to yell the curse word of their choice, including the deer.

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Prestigious-Buy1774 t1_j43h2bp wrote

It does fall under comprehensive. I have probably hit 4 or 5 deer with my vehicles, and the insurance company has never failed to pay the repairs and has never increased my premium because of it. I was 200 miles away on vacation when I hit one, repaired without a hitch. I have a zero deductible on my comprehensive, which helped a lot. Good luck!!

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Wild_Box9005 t1_j417d4k wrote

Double check because your comp deductible might be a lot less than your collision deductible. I hit a deer and it was a $50 deductible and no rate increases

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sprcpr t1_j464ial wrote

My parents live in the middle of nowhere and my dad had to travel about 30 miles for work very early in the morning. He hit over a dozen deer. His truck looked brand new when he finally got rid of it with 250k miles. It had been repaired and repainted several times. His insurance agent cried on the phone once and begged him to find a different route to work. They couldn't raise his rates or drop him from coverage.

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30686 t1_j493lm3 wrote

File the claim.

Generally, your insurance company can only raise your premiums for traffic violations, accidents or damage that are your fault, adding drivers to your policy, moving to a higher risk locale, or letting your insurance lapse. There may be other reasons applicable to your situation, but probably not.

Why pay insurance premiums over and over if you're not going to file a claim when you finally have a covered event? Now you will be out all those premiums, plus the interest you could have earned over time on those premium dollars had you kept them, plus $5,000 to $6,000.

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AdAntique5099 t1_j49n28l wrote

Filed. Car picked up today. Thank you for the well written reply.

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worstatit t1_j40tb7i wrote

This is true. However, if, after colliding with the deer, the car veered off the road and hit something else, they will throw it on comprehensive. The first question the adjuster will ask. Edit"they will throw it on collision"...

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mcvoid1 t1_j417a9f wrote

It better be no-fault. One time a deer hit me while I was stopped waiting for its herd to cross the road. I guess in the dark it saw the headlights and tail lights and tried to sneak in between and hit head-first into my driver-side rear door.

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Bird_Brain4101112 t1_j41ph66 wrote

Even if your rates go up say $100 a month (unlikely) it would take 4ish years to break even on paying it fully out of pocket.

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AdAntique5099 t1_j42es1l wrote

Our insurance broker advised it could go up a lot more than $100/mo. So, I called Progressive and after 45min and being transferred 5 times (not joking) I still don't have a definitive answer.

They told me it will be up to the adjuster that comes out and determines if it appears he swerved to hit the deer or not. If he appears he swerved then it's hit fault (really?). Nobody could answer the question "If you hit a deer in PA, will the policy go up upon renewal". Their answer "It COULD go up"..

OK, you are the insurance company, who makes that call? "You need to speak with underwriting", transfer-- 5th person at this point tells me about the swerve or not thing and then tells me it will be up to the claims dept (that I started with).

They said it will depend at time of renewal what all has happened if the rate will increase or not such as speeding or other accidents. I said assuming NO other incidents, just the deer, would it go up? "It could go up".. at this point in the call they had worn me out completely and will just file it and see what happens.

You would think we were trying to launch the space shuttle when asking this question to Progressive. When I had Erie Insurance they were far more coorperative and concise.

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Bird_Brain4101112 t1_j42mqpm wrote

I used $100 as an example. Overall I’m just saying isn’t this why you pay for insurance? (Aside from it being legally required).

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AdAntique5099 t1_j4394gc wrote

It is, however-- if financially it makes more sense to pay a one-time out of pocket vs. several years of a higher rate is what I'm trying to understand. My current plan is to submit, and if the rate goes up-- I will then shop for a new insurance provider. See what happens.

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Bird_Brain4101112 t1_j43f3g6 wrote

I had an at fault accident and my rates went up like $50/mo for about two years than dropped back down. Plus I got rental coverage for the entire 40 ish days my car was in the shop. No way paying out of pocket wild have saved me money, even in the long run. This is a single anecdote but just putting it out there.

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Aes_Should_Die t1_j42fuz3 wrote

Deer often survive car wrecks. It’s crazy

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FaithlessnessCute204 t1_j42muhm wrote

They also often don’t survive the crash but manage to bolt off 200 yards into the woods and then die . Hell I shot one that went 75 yards that literally didn’t have a heart anymore.

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Mijbr090490 t1_j43qj3a wrote

I hit a black bear out of state and claimed it through progressive. No increase in my rates. I chose to take the payout less my $500 deductible and fix it myself. Ended up with some extra cash in my pocket when it was all said and done.

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Plastic-Lawfulness55 t1_j4444i5 wrote

a few years ago I hit a deer. which totaled my car (it was 14 years old) and 2 days later while driving a rental the insurance provided, I hit ANOTHER deer. yay for driving in a farm community in the pre dawn hours

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Ziggi6029 t1_j44tvw0 wrote

They won’t raise your rates because the deer is state property and the insurance company will be reimbursed by the state. So they are not out anything.

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