Events covered by your homeowner’s insurance plan are referred to as perils within your policy; but not every peril that causes damage to your property is covered. Those that are not covered are called excluded perils and they may include:
- Earth movement: This can include earthquakes, landslides, earth shifts, mudslides and sinkholes. Policies can, however, have special endorsements that provide limited coverage for some of these perils and special policies can be purchased for others. If you live in an area that is prone to any of these events, you may want to work with an agent to ensure that you are properly covered.
- Neglect: It’s up to every homeowner to take the necessary steps to protect their home and to maintain the property to minimize the chance of losses. If your property becomes damaged as a result of neglect, your home insurance policy likely offers no benefits.
- Acts of war: If your home is damaged during activities connected to a civil war, undeclared war, war-like act by the military or military personnel, or rebellion, your home insurance policy likely excludes coverage. It may also exclude coverage for certain nuclear events.
- Intentional loss: The purpose of a home insurance policy is to make a homeowner whole after a loss that they were not expecting and, when possible, took relative care to prevent or minimize damage from. If a homeowner should be found to cause intentional damage to his or her home, the claim would likely be denied.
- Water damage: Your home insurance policy offers no protection against flood damage. Instead, a separate flood insurance policy is required to protect against the damage imposed by rising bodies of water due to runoff, storm surge, etc. It also does not provide coverage for tidal waves, sewer and drain backup, or leaks in the foundation.
- Government action: If, by government action, your property is confiscated or seized, it isn’t likely to be covered by your policy. However, if a neighborhood fire puts your home at risk and you are ordered out as a safety measure, then fire damage may be covered.
- Ordinance or law: After a loss, if local ordinances or laws require upgrades in rebuilding, then these additional expenses may not be covered.
To discuss your home insurance policy’s exclusions or to get a free Baton Rouge home insurance quote, give us a call at 225-935-8751.
JG