Does car insurance cover non-crash injuries?

If you’ve ever slammed your hand in a car door, bumped your head on the hood, or gotten hurt during something as frightening as a carjacking, you already know that not all car injuries come from a crash. These kinds of accidents happen more often than most people realize.

According to NHTSA’s latest Non-Traffic Surveillance report, an estimated 503,000 non-crash motor-vehicle injuries occurred between 2020 and 2021. The most common causes include:

• Falls while getting in or out of the car (18%)
• Injuries from a closing door (12%)
• Being hit by a vehicle or a vehicle part (9%)

So how does car insurance treat injuries that don’t involve a collision? Here’s a breakdown of the ways your vehicle can hurt you outside of a crash — and whether your policy might cover it.

What are non-crash car injuries?

Non-crash car injuries are exactly what they sound like—injuries that happen in or around your vehicle without an actual accident. Think slipping while getting in or out, getting hit by a hood or trunk lid, burns from a hot engine or exhaust, cuts from sharp edges or license plates, or even a jack failing while you’re changing a tire. Carbon monoxide exposure also falls into this category.

They happen more often than people think and usually occur during normal use or basic maintenance. In many states, PIP or MedPay can help cover medical costs for these types of injuries, depending on how your policy is written.

16 non-crash car injuries and how insurance handles them

Car-related injuries don’t always come from a collision. Many happen while you’re getting in or out, loading something heavy, working under the hood, or simply standing near your vehicle. Here are 16 surprisingly common non-crash injuries and how insurance typically responds.

1. When you slam your hand in the door

If you slam your hand, finger, or another body part in a closing door or window, you’re usually covered if your policy includes Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or Medical Payments (MedPay). 

PIP covers medical bills, lost wages, rehab, and funeral costs for you and your passengers. MedPay covers medical and funeral bills no matter who caused the injury. Auto insurance typically pays first, with health insurance covering anything beyond your policy limits.

2. When you slip getting in or out of the car

About 90,000 people injure themselves each year while entering or exiting a vehicle. Falls from truck beds, tailgates, hoods, or roofs are also common. These injuries are usually covered under PIP or MedPay, especially if you slipped or lost your balance unintentionally. 

Around 1,000 people are also hurt falling inside a vehicle each year, and those injuries are typically treated the same way.

3. When you pull a muscle loading or unloading stuff

Overexertion causes about 59,000 non-crash injuries annually. Insurers often see lifting-related strains as self-inflicted or not directly tied to operating your vehicle, so PIP may not apply. 

However, if you strained yourself pushing a broken-down car off the road, that may be covered because it’s directly connected to using your vehicle.

4. When you smack your head on the hood or trunk

If you hit your head hard enough on your hood or trunk that you need medical care, PIP generally covers those bills. The same applies if the hood or trunk lid falls on you during routine maintenance. 

MedPay may also apply, depending on whether your policy considers reaching into the trunk or looking under the hood as “occupying” the vehicle.

5. When a car runs over your foot

If your foot is run over while you’re getting in or out of a car, MedPay may cover the injury. PIP covers you if you’re the driver, a passenger, the vehicle owner, or a relative of the owner. If you were simply walking by with no connection to the car, you would file a claim against the driver’s bodily injury liability coverage.

6. When you’re hurt during a carjacking

Comprehensive coverage pays for the stolen car, but PIP or MedPay may cover injuries you suffer during the theft. Coverage depends on where the injury happened, how your policy is written, state laws, and how courts have interpreted similar cases. In many states, injuries connected to the “operation, maintenance, or use” of the vehicle are more likely to be covered.

7. When you kick your car and instantly regret it

If you kicked your car out of frustration and injured yourself, insurers consider that an intentional act. Auto insurance doesn’t cover intentional harm, so PIP or MedPay won’t apply. You would need to rely on your health insurance for treatment.

8. When a part or tool hits you while you’re working on the car

If your policy’s PIP definition includes injuries arising from the “ownership, maintenance, or use” of a motor vehicle, you’re generally covered if a tool, car part, or foreign object hits you while you’re working on your car. If a hired mechanic gets hurt, their injuries are typically covered under workers’ compensation.

9. When battery acid or engine fluids burn you

Battery acid injuries can happen when checking battery levels or jump-starting a car. These are usually covered by PIP because they’re considered part of routine vehicle maintenance. The same applies to burns from antifreeze or a hot radiator cap.

10. When someone literally falls onto your car

It’s rare, but it happens — people have accidentally fallen from buildings onto cars. If you or your passengers were injured in a situation like this, PIP or MedPay would cover the injuries. Without those coverages, you could submit a claim to the falling person’s liability insurance or their employer’s insurance if applicable.

11. When something flies or falls onto your vehicle

If a foreign object strikes your vehicle and injures you — like gravel flying through a window, cargo falling from a truck, or debris dropping from above — you can file a claim under PIP or MedPay. Roughly 10,000 people are injured by foreign objects while working on or around vehicles each year.

12. When you get hurt changing a tire

Around 6,000 people injure themselves each year while changing a tire, usually because a jack slipped or failed. Another 2,000 people are injured in other jack- or hoist-related incidents. Because changing a tire is considered routine vehicle maintenance, PIP generally covers the resulting medical bills.

13. When you brush against a scorching hot muffler or exhaust

If you or a passenger accidentally touch a hot muffler or exhaust pipe and suffer a burn, PIP or MedPay typically covers the injury. Around 1,000 people are hurt each year in heat-related car burns.

14. When your car catches fire (without a crash)

If your car catches fire while you’re inside and you’re burned, PIP or MedPay typically covers treatment. If your medical bills exceed your auto policy limits, your health insurance would step in. About 3,000 people are injured annually in non-crash vehicle fires.

15. When your car cuts you — yes, it happens

Accidental cuts from sharp edges — like license plates, mirrors, window edges, or door frames — are often covered under PIP, whether they happen while driving or performing basic maintenance.

16. When carbon monoxide makes you sick

About 2,000 people suffer carbon monoxide poisoning from vehicles each year. If the exposure happened during normal vehicle use — such as warming up the car in a garage or sitting in an idling vehicle — PIP typically covers treatment.

A final note on staying protected from non-crash car injuries

Many non-crash injuries happen during the routine things we all do around our cars, like getting in, loading groceries, or checking something under the hood. Coverage really comes down to your policy and the details of the incident. Knowing what your PIP or MedPay includes—and adding it if your state allows—can make a big difference. If you do get hurt, get medical attention quickly, take photos, keep your receipts, and file the claim promptly so things go smoothly.