SACKRISON INSURANCE AGENCY

  • Home
  • About
    • Community Partners
    • Legal
    • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Long Term Care Insurance >
      • California Partnership for Long Term Care
    • Life Insurance
    • Business Insurance
    • Business Liability Insurance
    • Professional Liability Insurance
    • Workers' Compensation Insurance
    • Contractor Insurance
    • Commercial Auto
    • Umbrella Insurance
    • Homeowners Insurance
    • Renters Insurance
  • Quotes
    • Short Quote Form
    • Business Quote
    • Commercial Liability
    • Commercial Auto Quote
    • Contractor Quote
    • Umbrella Quote
    • Home Quote
    • Renters Quote
    • Life Quote
  • Blog
  • Home
  • About
    • Community Partners
    • Legal
    • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Long Term Care Insurance >
      • California Partnership for Long Term Care
    • Life Insurance
    • Business Insurance
    • Business Liability Insurance
    • Professional Liability Insurance
    • Workers' Compensation Insurance
    • Contractor Insurance
    • Commercial Auto
    • Umbrella Insurance
    • Homeowners Insurance
    • Renters Insurance
  • Quotes
    • Short Quote Form
    • Business Quote
    • Commercial Liability
    • Commercial Auto Quote
    • Contractor Quote
    • Umbrella Quote
    • Home Quote
    • Renters Quote
    • Life Quote
  • Blog

Falling trees and your home and auto insurance

10/19/2016

 
That’s another way of asking, “Does homeowners insurance cover damage from falling trees?”

Usually YES, but not always.
​
We’re coming up on the rainy season in Napa, and that means high winds and storms. So, we’ll look at some typical tree-falling scenarios to see how an insurance company looks at each claim.

(Remember, each homeowners policy is unique. Benefits cannot be guaranteed in advance.)

To keep things simple, I’ll assume a typical thunderstorm as the cause of each hypothetical claim below.
 
1. My tree falls on my house.
Your homeowners policy covers this, assuming you have a typical policy. Of course, there’s a deductible and policy limits apply. Also, some policies may include a small amount of coverage for debris removal.
 
2. My tree falls on my fence.
It’s typically covered. However, fences, sheds and “other structures” usually have a limit of 10% of the insured amount. In other words, if your home is insured for $200,000, your other structures are insured for only $20,000. If that’s not enough, or you if you are concerned, talk to your agent.
 
3. A tree falls on my car.
Just your luck. You washed your car, and now a tree falls on it. Are you covered? Surprisingly, NOT under a homeowners policy. However, your AUTO policy should cover this under the optional comprehensive provision of your policy. If you are not sure whether you have comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance- check with your agent to make sure.
 
4. My tree falls on my yard.
Sorry- you’ll be on your own for cleaning up the mess. Your homeowners policy is designed to protect structures. There’s seldom any coverage for trees falling on the ground. However, some policies may cover a small amount of the cost of removal if a driveway is blocked. Again- check with your agent.
 
5. My tree falls on my neighbor’s house.
Here’s where it gets interesting! Your neighbor’s homeowners policy, NOT YOURS, covers the damage. The policy that covers the building or structure is the policy that pays for the damage, regardless of who owns the tree. This is always true, except when it isn’t. Keep reading...
 
6. My neighbor’s tree falls on my house.
Again, your policy (not theirs) covers the damage, EXCEPT when there is clear negligence on the part of the owner of the tree. In those unusual cases, your insurance company could go after your neighbor’s policy for payment. We call that “subrogation.” If that happens, you could end up paying no deductible. But this works both ways: you and your neighbor both have an obligation to take care of obviously “risky” trees. So, if you have a diseased or dead tree that could easily fall, take care of it before something happens.
 
My advice:
  • Review your policy with your agent BEFORE a storm hits.
  • Prune or remove risky trees and branches BEFORE they fall.
  • Take pictures AFTER a tree falls, and before the cleanup. Claims adjusters may need this.
​​​
​------------------------------------------
Bruce Sackrison is an insurance property and casualty broker affiliated with Professional Insurance Associates helping clients with insurance needs for personal, commercial and business insurance. Bruce can be reached at 707-931-0186, bruces@sackifs.com

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Bruce Sackrison

    Napa, California
    (707) 931-018

    Archives

    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    April 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Contact

Personal

Business

ADDRESS
1370 Trancas St, Ste 401
Napa, CA 94558


PHONE
(707) 931-0186
Toll Free: (888) 332-6609


CA State License #0B56437​

Contact Us
Long Term Care (LTC) Insurance
Homeowners Insurance
Renters Insurance
​
Life Insurance
Umbrella Insurance
Business Owners (BOP) Insurance
Business Liability Insurance
Professional Liability Insurance
Contractor Insurance
Commercial Auto Insurance
​
Workers' Compensation Insurance

Copyright Sackrison Insurance        Site managed by Web Biz Strategy