Boat Docks and Windstorm Damage
Last year’s swath of hurricanes brought numerous claims involving damage to boat docks and piers, along with numerous claim denials. Weather-related claims to boat docks are common elsewhere in the…
Personal Lines
What is “Theft”?
An insured sends brass bathroom fixtures to the manufacturer to be replated or replaced. They are lost by the manufacturer who refuses to replace them. Is this loss covered by…
The Homeowners “Vehicle” Peril
Here’s a composite of THREE questions received by our “Ask an Expert” service in the past month: “Is there any coverage under the HO3 for a piece of furniture/washer/television (or…
Does the HO ‘Neglect’ Exclusion Apply to Roof Snow Accumulation?
What if snow that accumulates on a roof over time results in collapse? Could the carrier deny the claim, citing the “Neglect” exclusion in the HO policy due to the…
Surface Water Revisited
An insured suffered severe water damage to the interior of the second floor of a dwelling. A heavy rain storm caused water to accumulate on a second floor deck which…
The HO Policy and Underground Leaks
A contractor built a new inground pool for the insured. After the pool was installed, an underground leak was discovered in a water line between the house and pool after…
What is “Fragile”?
A large, ornate wooden bowl was scheduled on the insured’s HO policy. The bowl was accidentally broken and the insurer denied the claim citing the exclusion for “breakage of art…
Just Because It’s Not Covered Doesn’t Mean It’s Not Covered
The insured’s brother-in-law was helping him clean up some storm damage when a tree limb damaged his lawn tractor. The adjuster denied the damage as a liability claim under the…
Earth Movement or Falling Object?
A boulder dislodged from a hillside and ended up inside a home at the bottom. Is this excluded as earth movement or would it be covered as a falling object…
The Concurrent Causation Exclusion
A number of years ago, ISO added “concurrent causation” exclusionary wording to its personal and commercial lines property forms. This was done in response to several onerous court decisions that…
