What if a Tree Falls into Your Home? Here’s What You Need to Do
Universal Property and Casualty
It’s the hurricane season again and one of the most common threats to a home is falling trees. It can do more damage than flood or rain. When this happens, you should be protected by tree insurance coverage.
As much as trees give us shade during summer, it can become damaging during stormy days. So what should you do when a tree fell into your home? Here’s what we suggest:
Does homeowners insurance cover tree damage?
Each policy is unique from the other. Still, each one will include a comprehensive and specific set of perils and risks.
It’s important to know if a clause covers the condition of the damage. If not, it’s best to have it included so the next time a tree falls into your home, you wouldn’t have to shoulder all the out-of-pocket expenses.
If you’re fully covered, you have to know if the damage is accidental or gradual.
Gradual vs. sudden damage
Sudden tree damage is when strong winds caused the tree to fall into a portion of your home. Gradual damage is when the roots of the tree grow into your home and ruin your plumbing system and other parts.
For falling trees, you’ll likely be covered if the tree is healthy and not a maintenance issue at the time of the incident.
Who owns the tree?
The ownership of the tree is a very crucial part when filing for an insurance claim. So what happens if my neighbor’s tree falls in my yard? If this belongs to another person’s yard, it’s possible that your neighbor will have to answer the expenses, especially if it’s proven that the incident is preventable.
However, if the tree branch went flying to your home during a hurricane, it might be difficult to track down whose tree it belongs.
There’s also what insurance companies call subrogation. Before they take care of your claim, they will go after the responsible party, which is the person who owns the tree. The same goes when cut down tree falls on house.
If the insurer succeeds in reimbursing the cost to the responsible owner, you will be given a complete payout.
What if my claim got denied?
There’s a possibility that your insurer will try to deny your claim due to some grounds. When this happens, you have some options to explore.
If you believe that you should be covered, you can call a public adjuster to help re-appeal your claim. Here at Gold Coast Public Adjusters, denied claims are our specialization. From tree insurance coverage to almost every insurance policy, we have experts to help you out.
We will review your policy and previous claims to know where you stand. From there, we will work with you to appeal your claim to your insurer.
Our team can also work alongside your lawyer if the claim calls for it. For Examination Under Oath, we will help you prepare ahead of time to increase your chances of winning the claim.