ERIE, Pa., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- For decades, Erie Insurance auto policies have paid for first aid to others' animals at the time of an accident. Now, all Erie Insurance personal auto policies in Virginia include injury coverage for their own pets, too, at no additional charge. This coverage was effective July 1, 2008.
Erie Insurance's pet injury coverage provides protection for up to two domestic dogs and/or cats that are hurt or killed in an auto accident. Policyholders may be eligible to receive up to $500 per animal, $1,000 per loss, to pay for reasonable veterinarian costs to treat a dog or cat injured while riding inside an Erie-insured vehicle at the time of a covered loss. If the injury results in the death of the animal, Erie Insurance will pay for the purchase of a similar breed of animal, if desired by the policyholder. The purchase cost includes the cost of the first wellness visit and charges to spay or neuter the animal, up to $500 per animal.
"More than half of households nationwide include a cat or dog," said Loriann Feltz-Upperman, senior vice president and division office, Agency. "This new coverage reflects Erie Insurance's dedication to being above all in service to our policyholders and their family members -- whether they have two legs or four."
No additional deductible will be charged for pet injury coverage. Virginia is the first state in which Erie Insurance has provided pet injury coverage to its personal auto policyholders. The company plans to roll out the coverage in other select states later this year.
According to A.M. Best Company, Erie Insurance, based in Erie, Pennsylvania, is the 16th largest automobile insurer in the United States based on direct premiums written, the 21st largest property/casualty insurer in the United States based on total lines net premium written, and the no. 3 writer of personal auto insurance and no. 6 writer of home insurance in Virginia.
Erie Insurance, rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company, has over 3.9 million policies in force and operates in 11 states and the District of Columbia. Erie Insurance Group ranked 488 on the FORTUNE 500. Most recently, Erie Insurance earned J.D. Power and Associates' award for "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with the Auto Insurance Purchase Experience." This award recognizes the top rankings in J.D. Power's 2008 Insurance New Buyer Study, which assesses customers' experience in purchasing a new auto insurance policy.
Photo: Newscom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041112/ERIELOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com