Almost every homeowner has an insurance policy to protect their property from damage, but what you may not realize is that there are limitations to this policy. It is possible that you may believe you have coverage for certain types of damage, but you do not. You want to avoid finding out that you have little or no coverage for significant damage to your home after the damage has occurred. The following are three areas of financial loss that are probably not a part of your insurance policy.
Coverage for damages due to a hurricane
Although it is true that a typical homeowners insurance policy will cover damage from storms, including hail and winds, the damage that is inflicted by a hurricane is often not covered. This is due to the extent of the damage that can be done. Most notably is the complete loss of your house. For this reason, hurricane coverage is often separate, and the deductibles are expressed as a percentage of the total damages sustained and not in a fixed amount.
Coverage for damages due to flooding
No homeowners insurance policy will cover this, at least not the flooding that occurs from natural disasters. Often a policy will cover damage from a bursting pipe, but anything related to the weather will not be covered. This is true because the widespread damage from a flood would be financially overwhelming for an insurance company. They could not be able to pay the claims. However, the federal government offers this type of insurance, so if you live in an area that is prone to flooding, you should consider purchasing a policy.
Coverage for damages due to earthquakes
Earthquakes can create massive damage to a property, but they can also create smaller issues in a structure, including the foundation. This type of insurance is not included in a standard homeowners policy, but it can be added to your policy or purchased separately. Many property owners ignore this insurance, thinking that a large earthquake will never happen. Others mistakenly believe they do not live near an earthquake fault, so they do not need this type of insurance. However, if there have been earthquakes in the past where you live, even small quakes, you need to think about buying a policy.
Your best course of action is to take out your policy and read what it covers. Depending upon what area of the country you live in, you may want to consider purchasing more for your home. Additional coverage can sometimes be added to your current home insurance policy, but supplemental policies are always available. For more information, consider checking out websites like http://www.unitedsecurityagency.com.
Share23 December 2015
