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EL SEGUNDO HERALD September 13, 2018 Page 9
You’re Covered: 4 Unusual Homeowners Claims
You Didn’t Think Would Ever Happen
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(BPT) - Homeowners insurance is a practical
investment to help protect you, your family
and your property in the event of unforeseen
and unexpected losses. Traditionally, it’s associated
with fire damage, burst or leaking
pipes, or stolen property, but occasionally
it covers unusual events that make for
sensational news stories and viral videos.
Here are four claims homeowners never
thought would happen to them.
1. Bear B&B
Bears are notoriously curious and intelligent
creatures that also have an acute
sense of smell.
People who live in areas with bears for
neighbors must not entice them with the
aromas of food. Keep doors and windows
on ground floors closed and locked while
cooking or if you leave the house. A bear
can easily get through the screen of an
open window or manipulate a lever-like
door handle to enter your home and cause
significant damage.
“Encountering a bear inside your home
would be a very frightening experience,”
says Christopher O’Rourke, Vice President
of Property Claims at Mercury Insurance.
“Safety should be your first priority, so call
your local police or animal control station
to have them help you with the situation. You
can worry about any potential damages after
the animal leaves the residence, because your
homeowners policy will most likely cover
any damage to your home (though not your
personal property), unless of course the bear
is a family pet.”
2. The sky is falling
China’s Tiangong-1 space station plummeted
back to Earth and made its re-entry into the
atmosphere earlier this year, breaking apart
over the southern Pacific Ocean. The odds
of debris from the space station hitting you
were less than one in 1 trillion, according
to the Aerospace Corporation. If it had hit
your home, though, homeowners insurance
would’ve covered it.
3. Your house is stolen
Yes, you read that correctly. Your homeowners
insurance will cover the entire house,
not just the contents inside, if it is stolen.
O’Rourke explains, “We had an insured
who was away on vacation and when he
returned the foundation of his home was all
that remained.
“A house moving company had mixed up
the address with another house down the
street that was scheduled to be moved. The
movers came in, transported the house to
another location and thought their job was
done - wrong!
“You can only imagine his surprise at the
mistake. While homeowners insurance covered
the cost of getting things restored back
to normal, I would suspect this was one
of the strangest situations any insurer has
ever encountered,” says O’Rourke.
4. Fore!
Golf is a leisurely pastime enjoyed by
millions in the U.S. It involves strolling
across greens and riding in golf carts, so
its slow pace may seem low-risk, but it can
actually be quite dangerous. According to
an article in Golf Digest magazine, nearly
40,000 golfers are admitted to emergency
rooms annually after being injured while
playing, most by errant golf balls and flying
club heads.
Recreational golfers can also cause a lot
of damage to personal property. If you live
on a golf course, your house has probably
been hit many times by errant shots - breaking
windows, damaging roofs and leaving
divots in exterior walls.
So, who’s responsible for these injuries
and damage?
“Simply put, the golfer who hit the shot
is responsible,” says O’Rourke. “There is
good news, however, because recreational
golfers would be covered by a homeowners,
condo owners or renters insurance policy
for damage or injuries that result from the
wayward shot.”
Mercury recommends reviewing your homeowners
insurance policy annually with your
local insurance agent to ensure that you’re
adequately covered for any unforeseen losses,
both unusual and ordinary. *
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