Will the insurance company compensate if the car stalls in water?
2 Answers
Will the insurance company compensate if the car stalls in water? The insurance company will normally compensate if the car stalls due to water wading, but will not compensate if the car is restarted after stalling. However, compensation is subject to certain conditions. Condition 1: At the time of heavy rain or flood, the insured vehicle is submerged to the exhaust pipe or intake pipe, and the driver continues to start the vehicle or uses inertia to start the vehicle. Condition 2: After heavy rain or flood, the vehicle is started without necessary treatment. Condition 3: In the event of an accident within the scope of the additional insurance liability, the insurer shall be responsible for compensating the necessary and reasonable expenses incurred by the insured or their representative for rescue and protection measures to prevent or reduce the loss of the insured vehicle. The maximum compensation amount for this expense shall be limited to the insured amount of the vehicle loss insurance.
I've been driving for over a decade and have encountered several situations where my car stalled in water during heavy rain. Whether the insurance company compensates or not depends on what coverage you've purchased. If you only have basic vehicle damage insurance without specific water-related coverage or additional riders, they probably won't cover engine damage from water intake after stalling - especially if you couldn't resist restarting the engine, as insurers will definitely use that as grounds to deny the claim, considering it human-caused aggravated damage. A friend of mine learned this the hard way last year when he restarted his flooded engine and had to pay out of pocket for a new one. I recommend car owners review their policies before rainy season and add water-related coverage - it's affordable at just a few hundred yuan annually but can save big money when needed. When driving through water, go slow. If the engine stalls, stop immediately without restarting, take photos for evidence, contact your insurer, and have it towed for repairs. Understanding policy details beforehand is much better than regretting afterward.
