VU Resources

HO Coverage for Camper Trailer

Is there liability coverage for a camper trailer while used at a camp site? Is that an insured location? Does the motor vehicle exclusion apply?

Personal Lines Host Liquor Liability Revisited

A guest leaves your party where they consumed too much alcohol, has an accident, and you’re sued. Is this an HO or PAP exposure, or both? If it’s a PAP exposure, does it matter that neither you, a family member, nor a vehicle you own was involved in the accident? Apparently opinions vary.

Coverage for Property Damage Caused by Toilet Overflow

A toilet overflows in a 4-story frame condo building and causes damage to structural components on all floors. Does the ISO CP 10 30 Special Causes of Loss cover this? What about their BOP policy? Would an ISO HO-3 cover a similar loss in a home?

Property Coverage for Damage Caused by Windblown Lake Ice

A home is located on a lake that is covered in ice during the winter. In the spring, when the ice breaks up, a strong wind “pushes” ice across the lake and the backyard and into the dwelling. Is this damage covered by an HO policy? If it’s a commercial building, is it covered? What…

Insuring “Other Structures” on HO-6 Condo Policies

An HO-6 condo form includes only Coverage A and C for direct damage to property…that is, no Coverage B. What if the insured owns a structure not attached to the unit? Can it be insured and, if so, how?

Row of colorful, red, yellow, blue, white, green painted residential townhouses, homes, houses with brick patio gardens in summer

Insuring Hot Tubs on an HO Policy

An HO customer’s hot tub is damaged by the freezing of a water line. Does the ISO HO-3 cover this cause of loss? What if the root cause is mechanical breakdown? Is it open perils or named perils? Is valuation based on replacement cost or ACV? This article answers these and other coverage questions.

Bad Exclusions, Trial Lawyers, and Big I Advocacy

Sometimes we come across policy exclusions that shouldn’t be there but, due to human error, they’re there. If such inappropriate exclusions are used to deny a claim, what should be done? One view is to sue, sue, sue those greedy insurance companies. Another view is resolve the problem without litigation and work to change the…

Law.

The “Where You Reside” Issue…Next Steps

On October 1, 2015 in most states, ISO’s new HO endorsements designed to resolve the potential “Where You Reside” coverage gap became effective. In less than two weeks later, we heard of yet another claim where someone may lose a home they own or otherwise suffer a significant uninsured loss. This article discusses that claim…

Coverage for Potted Trees, Shrubs and Plants Under HO Policies

Does the trees, shrubs and plants Additional Coverage in a Homeowners policy apply inside and outside the home? Does it apply to plants in a yard or to potted plants as well? Is there a difference in this coverage between ISO forms and between ISO and non-ISO forms?

Closeup image of people preparing to grow a small tree with soil in the garden

Why is an Open Perils Policy Superior to a Named Perils Policy?

If asked to give examples of claims that would likely be covered by an open perils property policy but not by a named perils policy, could you? We’ve compiled a short list of generic examples, some slightly tongue-in-cheek, that you can adapt to the forms you sell when asked for an example or two. As…