Weather got you down? A breakdown of insurance coverages for household items and residential buildings
Hurricane Damage Coverage: Identifying which Insurance Policies Cover Specific Losses
Need to know who's got your back when mother nature rears her wild side? Here's a simplified guide to help you navigate through those tough times.
When your property or health takes a hit due to severe weather, you'll want to make sure you're keeping track of what insurance covers, so you can get the help you need without any unnecessary delays. And remember, acting swiftly is crucial to prevent further damage and potential loss.
The German Insurance Association (GDV) breaks down the insurance coverages for damages caused by severe weather. Let's dive into it!
1. Storm wreaks havoc on your roof, windows, or chimney
If storms or fallen trees cause damage to your property, your building insurance will foot the bill for repairs. This includes subsequent damages like damp walls or floors due to rain seeping through shattered windows or a damaged roof [2][5].
2. Rainwater ruins your interior
If rainwater damages your furniture, belongings, or clothing due to broken windows or shattered roof tiles, your household contents insurance will be on the hook for the repair costs. However, policyholders are required to take measures to minimize the damage, such as sealing up broken windows or moving items to safety [5].
3. Flooding ruins parts of your home and belongings
In flood-related scenarios, you'll need additional coverage for your household contents or building insurance. Otherwise, you may find yourself shouldering the damage costs [2][3]. It's important to note that the insurance only covers damage caused by flooding due to weather-related precipitation, groundwater, or overflowing rivers.
4. Your vehicle gets a beatdown from falling debris or flooding
If your car sustains damage from falling branches or flooding, your vehicle insurance (either partial or comprehensive) will handle the costs. Those driving without car liability insurance will not be covered [5].
5. Your stuff hurt others or damages their property
If your unsecured items—like garden furniture—cause damage to others, your private liability insurance has you covered. However, if you've taken adequate measures, and your furniture still meets its untimely demise in a storm, both the building insurance and the affected party's health insurance are responsible [5].
6. You end up injured by falling debris or roof tiles
In this case, your health insurance will cover your medical expenses. In the event of permanent damage, your private accident insurance will take over—assuming you have an active policy [5].
Sources: ntv.de, awi/dpa
- Real Estate
- Apartment
- Tenant
- Landlord
- Rent
- Insurance
- Disaster Preparedness
- Financial Planning
- Storm Prevention
- Flood Mitigation
- Severe Weather Protection
Extra Insights
- Building Insurance (Wohngebäudeversicherung): This insurance covers damages to the building, such as broken roof tiles, windows, or chimneys, as well as the subsequent damages caused by water seepage into walls or floors [2][5].
- Household Contents Insurance (Hausratversicherung): This insurance takes care of damage to furniture, clothing, or other household items due to water entering the house through broken windows or damaged roof tiles [5].
- Duty to minimize damage: Policyholders are expected to take measures to prevent further damage to their properties, such as sealing broken windows and moving items to safety [5].
- Element insurance (Elementarschädenversicherung): Additional coverage is often necessary to cover damages caused by floods, as typical building and contents insurance may not cover all risks associated with extreme weather [2][3].
- Proof of wind speed: Some insurance policies require proof of wind speed to validate storm damage claims [4].
- For tenants living in apartments, understanding the importance of landlord's building insurance is crucial, as it covers damages to the building structure such as broken roof tiles, windows, or chimneys, and subsequent damages caused by water seepage.
- To ensure protection for their personal belongings like furniture, clothing, and other household items, tenants might need to consider household contents insurance. This insurance typically covers damages due to water entry through broken windows or damaged roof tiles, but may require policyholders to take measures to minimize further damage.
- In the case of flood-related scenarios, additional coverage for household contents or building insurance is necessary for both tenants and landlords. Standard insurance policies may not cover all risks associated with extreme weather, so flood mitigation and severe weather protection should be considered in financial planning for real estate.
- Lastly, when it comes to personal belongings like garden furniture, tenants are advised to take adequate precautions to prevent damage caused by severe weather. In the unlikely event that the furniture causes damage to others, private liability insurance will cover the costs. However, the building insurance and the affected party's health insurance might also be responsible, depending on the circumstances.
