Common Cold Weather Insurance Claims: Part One

Preparing for winter incidents and cold weather claims begins with prevention methods and thorough insurance protection. Let’s take a look at the most common causes of claims in winter weather and what you can do to protect yourself from these costly concerns.

Hidden behind that gorgeous blanket of snow are harsh winter storms waiting to do serious damage to your home. The winter season creates the most common and costly claims for home and car owners. In fact, III estimated that winter storms caused $1 billion in insured losses in 2016.
They also found that the overall percentage of winter-related claims has increased at a higher rate than previous decades, likely due to the severity of storms and increase in the number of people with insurance protection. Nearly 51% of all insurance homeowners’ claims come from wintery wind, hail, and weather-related water damage. Moreover, more collisions and “acts of God” occur while out on the road during or after a winter storm.
Preparing for winter incidents and cold weather claims begins with prevention methods and thorough insurance protection. Let’s take a look at the most common causes of claims in winter weather and what you can do to protect yourself from these costly concerns.

Wind damage

The most common homeowners claim filed is due to wind damage. Nearly one in 35 insured homes have a property damage claim related to wind or hail each year, according to The Insurance Information Institute. Wind is more intense during the winter months and thus creates a majority of these costly claims.
Prepare for wind damage:

• Remove and store all unsecured outdoor items like umbrellas, furniture, and play items.
• Inspect your home for loose gutters, shutters, and shingles.
• Trim dead or weak tree branches around the house. Tree collapse is the third most costly winter weather claim, averaging nearly $6,000 per tree.
• Be aware of nearby power lines. Trim trees around power lines. Ensure power lines near your property are secure. If not, call the phone or cable company for further fastening.

Wind damage is not always covered by your homeowners’ insurance. In fact, wind and flood are often exclusions on many homeowners’ policies. In this way, you’ll want to talk to your insurance agent before the winter season hits in order to ensure you are fully protected from any costs associated with wind damage. 
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Water, Water Everywhere: Loss Data May Surprise You

Water damage is the leading cause of property-related losses for homeowners, according to Chubb claims data.

A recent Travelers report reveals similar findings: After analyzing eight years of claims data, the insurer found that 20% of homeowners claims were attributable to non-weather water issues including plumbing, sewer or appliance leaks and failures -- making non-weather water losses the second most common homeowners claim, after wind (24%). Meanwhile, 11% of homeowners claims were caused by weather-related water.

Beyond just contributing to claims frequency, water is also the culprit in many devastating losses. Travelers reports that non-weather water and weather-related water damage accounted for 17% and 7% of the most expensive homeowners claims in 2009-2016, respectively -- and since 2015, water losses exceeding $500,000 have doubled, while those exceeding $1 million have tripled, according to Chubb.

Despite all this evidence, however, consumers may not be taking water threats as seriously as they should. Regarding weather-related water losses, Chubb reports that nearly half of homeowners believe weather reporting is "regularly" or "frequently" exaggerated, and 36% believe it’s "sometimes" exaggerated.

Furthermore, between summer 2017 and 2018 -- a timeframe that encompassed one of the worst hurricane seasons on record -- Chubb reports that 64% of homeowners did not change their home protection strategies. But people are still at risk from hurricanes even if they don’t live near the coast: 33% and 31% of Chubb’s Hurricane Harvey and Irma claims, respectively, were 25-50 miles away from the shoreline. And hurricane or not, flood remains the No. 1 disaster in the U.S., says Ana Robic, COO, Chubb Personal Risk Services.

"A lot of people think, 'This is never going to happen to me -- this is only a problem in X location,'" says Tanya Brown-Giammanco, lead researcher on the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s Hurricane Harvey Wind Damage Investigation Report. "But most locations in the U.S. are prone to some kind of disaster."

Non-weather water can also be more devastating than many homeowners may realize. "Once a consumer has a water loss, they’re definitely more aware of it for the next time," says Angi Orbann, vice president of Product Personal Insurance at Travelers. "But other than that, consumers typically aren’t thinking about those type of water losses."

And if a homeowner is away and doesn't notice a leak immediately, "the damage can be quite severe," Orbann adds. "Think about a two-story home where there’s a bathroom on the second story. If that hose line goes, it’s easy for it to be running down to the downstairs and possibly the basement for eight hours or longer if you’re away for a weekend. Those claims tend to be very disruptive."

Robic outlines a real-life scenario in which a homeowner was away on vacation when their washing machine hose burst, causing water to run unmonitored for several days. The water caused significant damage to the first and second floors of the home, including substantial damage to a newly renovated kitchen on the first floor.

At McCurdy Insurance, we will talk with you about your most common and most expensive risks and advise you on how to prepare for or prevent some of those losses.

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Are You Insured for Hurricane Damage?

Do you know if your homeowner's insurance policy would have covered your home had Harvey come our way? The answer depends on the source of the damage and the type of storm deductible to be applied, that is, named storm deductibles, windstorm deductibles, or hurricane deductibles. The distinction between these types of can be worth thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars.

Typically, damage caused by wind, downed trees and power outages are covered. However, flooding caused by rain or surface water is typically not covered.

In Massachusetts, the standard homeowners insurance policy typically covers damage caused by wind, which includes broken windows, roof and interior damage caused by trees or limbs falling onto the home. Tree damage to cars may be covered by your comprehensive auto policy coverage rate.

Flooding, which is defined as any water that rises from the ground or from the sky, is typically not covered by homeowner’s insurance policies. To be reimbursed for hurricane flooding damage, homeowners would have already secured Federal Flood insurance. The average flood premium is about $700 annually, according to the National Flood Insurance Program.

Unlike other types of insurance, flood insurance coverage doesn't begin on Day One. With few exceptions, you must wait thirty days after you first purchase a flood insurance policy before your policy will take effect.

So don’t delay. Call us today to discuss what options are best for you. You know the old saying: Better to be safe, than sorry.