author-img
Written by:
Shivani Gite
Contributing Writer
Shivani Gite is a personal finance and insurance writer with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She is passionate about making insurance topics easy to understand for people and helping them make better financial decisions. When not writing, you can find her reading a book or watching anime.
author
Reviewed by:
Laura Longero
reviewer icon
Executive Editor
Longero is an insurance expert with more than 15 years of experience educating people about personal finance topics and helping consumers navigate the complexities of auto insurance. She writes and edits for QuinStreet’s CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Prior to joining QuinStreet, she worked as a reporter and editor at the USA Today Network.
ZIP Code
Please enter valid ZIP

The term accident is ambiguous and can include at-fault, not-at-fault, reported and unreported collisions that you, as the driver, were involved in.

A definition of an accident would be a sudden, fortuitous event. The term is often used to refer to a collision or insurance event. With road rage and other occurrences that are creating granular definitions, some states are trying to add more legal language to the definition to make sure an insurance carrier covers an accident. Some states say it is an unexpected and unintended occurrence from the standpoint of the injured person.

A tire blowout would be considered an accident (one where there is a covered loss for an insurer to pay on) if the tire blowout caused the car to be damaged or if it’s just the tire that suffered damage.  If it’s the latter, then it probably would not be considered a covered insurance event.  However, it would ultimately depend upon the terms of the driver’s policy and that insurance provider’s internal guidelines.

The terms of insurance policies differ, but in many cases, blowouts or tire/rim damage that is not caused by theft or vandalism or is not a result of a vehicle collision aren’t covered.

So, if a tire and/or rim is damaged from either theft, vandalism or a collision, then it will be up to the terms of your auto insurance policy if these items standard to the car will be covered or not.  Thus, you need to read through the terms of your insurance policy and/or speak to your agent about your specific coverages.

Generally, when an automobile part, such as a tire, causes an accident comprehensive insurance would cover damages that resulted from the accident — but not necessarily the replacement cost of the tire.

If you had recently had a tire blowout, then check with your insurance agent to see if this would be covered by your policy’s benefits. If not, then you may check to see if the tire that blew has any known defects which you could go after the manufacturer.

— Michelle Megna contributed to this story.

Still have a question? Ask our experts

Get advice from an experienced insurance professional. Our experts will help you navigate your insurance questions with clarity and confidence.

Authors Browse all FAQs
Please enter a valid input Min 50 to max 250 characters are allowed. Only (& ? , .) charcters are allowed.
All information provided will remain confidential.
Please enter a valid input
Browse all FAQ’s >>
Error: Security check failed
Thank You, Your message has been received. Our team of auto insurance experts typically answers questions within five working days. Note that due to the volume of questions we receive, not all may be answered. You are a bot!
Ask another question
author image
Contributing Writer

Shivani Gite is a personal finance and insurance writer with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She is passionate about making insurance topics easy to understand for people and helping them make better financial decisions. When not writing, you can find her reading a book or watching anime.