19. While driving a company truck that is covered by a commercial auto policy, an individual had a collision with a deer that shattered the windshield. How would this loss be covered?
Answer: B
This loss would be covered by the policy's comprehensive coverage subject to any deductible.
When a deer collides with a vehicle, it falls under the category of non-collision incidents, which are typically covered by comprehensive insurance. This type of coverage addresses damages from events other than collisions, including animal strikes.
A) This loss would be covered by the policy's collision coverage subject to a deductible
Collision coverage is designed to cover damages resulting from collisions with other vehicles or objects, but not from deer or other animals. Therefore, this option is incorrect for this scenario, as the damage was caused by an animal, which is covered under comprehensive, not collision.
B) This loss would be covered by the policy's comprehensive coverage subject to any deductible
Comprehensive coverage is the appropriate option here, as it covers damages caused by events such as wildlife collisions. This aligns with the situation described, thus making it the correct answer.
C) A collision with an animal is excluded and any resulting loss would not be covered
This statement is incorrect because most comprehensive policies include coverage for animal collisions, contrary to the suggestion that such incidents would be excluded. Therefore, this option does not accurately reflect standard policy terms.
D) This loss would be covered by both the policy's collision and comprehensive coverages subject to the applicable deductibles
This option incorrectly implies that both types of coverage would apply. Since the incident involves a deer, only comprehensive coverage is relevant, making this choice inaccurate.
Conclusion
The correct answer identifies that comprehensive coverage applies to the loss incurred from the deer collision, as this type of insurance is specifically designed to handle such non-collision incidents. Other options either misidentify the applicable coverage or incorrectly state exclusions, emphasizing the importance of understanding the distinction between collision and comprehensive coverage in auto insurance policies.