Will insurance cover the adjacent car if a vehicle catches fire spontaneously?

[DeEmmett]

If a vehicle catches fire spontaneously and damages an adjacent car, the insurance company is responsible for compensation. Here are the relevant details: 1. Insurance Company: After a vehicle spontaneously combusts, the insurance company needs to provide corresponding compensation based on the extent of the vehicle's damage. It is understood that different insurance companies may have slight variations in their policy terms, but they are generally similar. 2. Spontaneous Combustion Insurance: Spontaneous combustion insurance covers fires caused by the vehicle's own issues, which are closely related to the vehicle's quality. If a new vehicle catches fire spontaneously during the warranty period, as long as human factors can be ruled out and it is not the consumer's fault, the insurance will apply. Spontaneous combustion insurance is a type of coverage specifically designed for quality-related issues with the vehicle itself. Therefore, consumers do not need to purchase spontaneous combustion insurance during the vehicle's warranty period.

[SophiaFitz]

I saw this happen in my neighborhood last time—Old Wang's car next door caught fire and burned Uncle Zhang's car. In the end, compensation was paid, but the process was a nightmare. First, you have to check if the car that self-ignited had third-party liability insurance, which is specifically for covering others' losses. As long as the owner didn't set the fire intentionally, the insurance company has to pay. The affected car owner can also use their own car damage insurance to repair the vehicle first and let the insurer recover the costs from the self-igniting car owner. However, in practice, it involves a lot of back-and-forth. The fire department needs to issue a liability determination certificate proving it was caused by self-ignition, and you have to take photos for evidence and follow procedures. My advice to affected car owners is to directly call their own insurance company to report the claim—it’s much faster than dealing with the other party yourself.

[JoelLee]

I specifically consulted a friend who works in auto insurance claims about this. Whether a neighboring car that gets burned can be compensated mainly depends on several scenarios: if the owner of the self-igniting car has purchased commercial third-party liability insurance, then the other party’s insurance company will directly cover the compensation; if they haven’t purchased it or the coverage is insufficient, the owner of the self-igniting car will have to pay out of pocket. The neighboring car’s own auto damage insurance can also pursue subrogation—first, their own insurance company compensates for the repair costs, and then the insurance company seeks reimbursement from the responsible party. The key is to prove that the self-ignition was accidental and not arson, so it’s best to call the police on the spot and obtain a fire department certificate. Also, remind surrounding car owners to purchase sufficient third-party insurance—with so many luxury cars around nowadays, even a minor collision can be financially devastating, let alone a fire.

[LaRicardo]

If the neighboring car catches fire, the insurance company will indeed compensate, but only if it can be proven that the damage was caused by the spread of a spontaneous combustion incident. First, call to report the incident and have a claims adjuster come to the scene, while also remembering to take photos of the positional relationship between the two vehicles and the burn marks. The spontaneous combustion vehicle owner's third-party liability insurance covers this, with coverage amounts typically ranging from 1 to 3 million. If the other party doesn't have this coverage, you'll have to use your own vehicle damage insurance for repairs and then proceed with subrogation. The worst-case scenario is encountering an uncooperative owner, but the new insurance law requires insurance companies to assist in investigation and evidence collection. If it goes to court, having police records and fire department investigation reports will almost certainly ensure a win.