Home Insurance Florida | As one of Florida's leading home owner insurance companies, it's our job to think about the unthinkable -- and to try to make sure you, as a homeowner, are covered for it. Homeowner policies are designed to cover all sorts of accidents, damages and unforeseen events to protect you from loss.
Many people are pleasantly surprised to learn all the things that their policies are prepared to cover -- and sometimes they are downright amazed at the things a good policy will take care of for homeowners. Sometimes they are also disappointed, so it is important to know what your policy covers!
ACCIDENTS AWAY FROM HOME
A standard homeowner’s policy will cover accidents that happen in the home and on your property, but most policy holders aren't aware that their policy can cover accidents that happen away from home too.
So let's say you pop a fly at the neighborhood softball game and it hits someone in the noggin; your homeowners insurance will cover that person's claim in the same way it would cover the accident if it happened in your backyard.
UNUSUAL DAMAGE
California homeowners with an expensive wine collection had a flood in their home when a pipe backed up. Their wine collection was undamaged by the flood but that was not the end of the story. While the water damage was being professionally remediated by fans and heat, their climate controlled wine cellar spent 10 days at over 85 degrees, ruining the wine. The homeowners successfully claimed on their home owners insurance for the spoiled collection.
DOWN THE DRAIN
If your expensive diamond ring goes down the drain, will your homeowners insurance cover it? Well, the first thing to do is call a plumber. It would be well worth his fee to check your drain's trap to see if the ring was indeed trapped there. As to whether your ring is covered, it depends on whether you have scheduled the property. What is scheduling? Most policies cap items like jewelry at a certain amount, giving you maybe $1,500 in coverage for all jewelry claims. If your ring or other jewelry is much more expensive than that, you will need to "schedule" coverage for the full replacement value or buy a separate policy.
EATEN JEWELRY
Yes, we know you can't keep an eye on Fido every single minute and there has been more than one example of pets gobbling down an expensive ring or bracelet or earring left on a table or counter. Recovery is a messy affair, and sometimes home owners don't suspect their pet in the disappearance until it's too late for that.
Insurance companies have paid for eaten jewelry, but as with the previous example, how much depends on whether the jewelry has been scheduled or if it has a special policy. When one woman’s dog ate her friend's expensive and rare pearl earring; it was recovered in three days but in a damaged state. Her special jewelry insurance policy paid for a new matching gem. In a much-reported case, one insurance company asked to buy the family dog at a very high price to "salvage" the jewelry it had eaten. The homeowners refused, of course, but their claim was paid.
THINGS FALLING OUR OF THE SKY
Sure, your chances of getting hit by a meteor are microscopic, but tell that to the Comette family (yes, that's the real name) whose home outside Paris was hit by a meteorite in 2011. They only discovered the event when their roof started leaking from the hole the 3.5 ounce space rock made. Marian Liknes, a Calgary, Canada, resident, was likewise surprised when a frozen block of airline lavatory waste tore a foot-wide hole in her roof in 2008.
If you have the same bad luck as these folks, rest assured: your homeowners policy generally carries a "falling objects" clause that can protect you from just such events. Damage from airplanes is also covered in most polices.
SQUIRREL VS. RACCOON
No, that is not a line from a Bullwinkle cartoon. But it is an important distinction in your homeowners coverage. We have plenty of pesky critters here in Florida, so it's important for you to know that policies exclude rodent damage from homeowners coverage, so damage from mice or squirrels invading your basement or attic won't be covered. But damage from non-rodent animals is. So if a raccoon gets trapped in the garage and wreaks havoc, or a bird flies through your kitchen window, or a wayward gator slaps his tail into your slider, homeowners insurance generally covers that type of damage. We even know of one claim when a skunk invaded the house!
Get a new home insurance quote today. It is free and easy and can help you make a more informed decision. Visit American Integrity Insurance for a free, no obligation homeowner’s insurance quote in Florida.
American Integrity Insurance is committed to providing Florida homeowners with sound, comprehensive insurance coverage and an extraordinary customer experience. We strive to be a valued partner to our policyholders, agents, and community.
We offer traditional and high valued home insurance Florida, condo insurance, renters insurance, and the special coverage required for vacant homes, manufactured homes, and policies designed for those who need less coverage or are renting out their home. We also offer extra protection, including flood insurance, umbrella insurance, golf cart insurance, boat insurance, cyber coverage and identity theft protection as well as equipment breakdown coverage, to help address a broad range of needs facing Florida homeowners today.