The insured employee, when fueling the insured's listed 2020 Ford F-250 truck, introduced regular fuel instead of diesel fuel into the tank, causing the engine to seize. The only damages are to the engine, and the repairs are $7,000. The CA 00 01 10 13 Business Auto Coverage Form provides physical damage coverage under Section III, A. Coverage, a. Comprehensive Coverage – "from any cause except: the covered auto's collision with another object or the covered auto's overturn.". However, under B. Exclusions, 3. "We will not pay for "loss' due and confined to: a. wear and tear, freezing, mechanical or electrical breakdown". The question is, can we find coverage for this loss?? The policy also contains the CA-500 Business Auto Premier Endorsement but no language there appears to provide coverage for this event.

Georgia Subscriber

This loss would indeed be covered by the comprehensive coverage, which covers loss from any cause except the auto's collision or overturn. The wear and tear exclusion would not apply as that exclusion is designed to eliminate coverage for gradual damage to the auto that occurs under normal and expected conditions. Also, the mechanical breakdown exclusion would not apply since that refers to some problem inherent in the vehicle, that is, a mechanical breakdown that occurs from inside the vehicle itself and not due to some outside force. In this instance, the damage occurred because of the negligent actions of the employee and not because of some problem within the pickup itself.