Weird Home Insurance Claims

Home insurance is one of the costs of owning property. You dutifully pay the monthly bill and don’t give it a second thought. But have you ever wondered what it actually covers?

Here are some of the weird and wonderful things your home insurance covers:

Never Fear, Volcano Coverage is Here

Volcanic eruptions are relatively rare and most standard home insurance policies provide some level of coverage for it. Most likely, your policy will protect against damages that are the direct result of the eruption itself, including lava flow, ash fall, and particles that may damage the exterior of your home.

While you might be protected against damages incurred from direct and/or immediate volcanic eruption, anything beyond that might be up for discussion. For instance, earth tremors and quakes can often follow an eruption and may not be covered by your standard insurance policy.

You can read over your policy for more information and ask your insurer about purchasing riders for extra protection, like earth movement and volcano eruption.

Your “Falling Objects” Clause Covers Defunct Russian Satellites

This “falling objects” clause is straight out of a Wile E. Coyote/Roadrunner cartoon – sans the Acme anvil. In real life, it’s not likely that space debris will survive re-entry into the atmosphere, fall miles to the earth and manage to land on your home and destroy it, but it can happen. If that’s the case, you have insurance coverage and an amazing story for your next cocktail party.

The next time you hear about a defunct Russian satellite with a deteriorating orbit, make yourself scarce and rest assured that your home will likely be covered by your insurance provider.

Don’t Sweat the Lightning Strikes

Lightning may never strike twice but it doesn’t have to when it hits your home. Over two million lightning strike incidents occur in Canada every year so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility you’ll get hit. The good news is that your home insurance policy probably covers this eventuality.

While you still want to make preparations for any intense weather coming your way, most standard policies include coverage for certain “Acts of God”-- provided it’s not listed as one of the exclusions. If you’re not sure about your coverage, call your insurer and see if you can purchase extra protection if it’s not already written into your policy.

Protect Your Home Against Wild Turkey Invasions

This one is a little trickier, but your home can be covered in the event of wild animal damage. There are some limitations though: the animal can’t be a pet and it can’t be considered vermin. For example, damage caused by raccoons is covered while the same damage caused by mice isn’t.

In one real-life situation, a couple returned home to discover a wild turkey had crashed through their bathroom window, accidentally turned on the faucets while it fluttered around, and caused extensive water damage to the house. Happily, this was technically considered vandalism and was covered by the insurer.

Are you wondering if you’re covered for some of these strange situations? Shop around your options and find the coverage that’s best for you.