Auto Insurance: Frequently asked questions

Our insured locked her keys in her car while it was running and decided to break the door window. I thought this should be covered under other than collision coverage, but the insurer is denying the claim because this was an intentional act. I cannot find an intentional acts exclusion under the physical damage part of the auto policy, so why is the insured's claim not covered?

You are right in that there is no intentional acts exclusion under the coverage for damage to your auto part of the personal auto policy. However, the insuring agreement applies to direct and accidental loss to the covered auto. This was a direct loss, but it was not accidental; the insured intentionally broke her door window. Her actions may have been understandable or even necessary, but they were also intentional and so, not covered by the auto policy.

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