There is a good chance that you or someone you know got a drone aircraft for Christmas. For many, the learning curve on controlling drones can be steep. What happens if you accidentally injure someone or damage their property? What if you teenager intentionally causes harm? What if you or your teen is sued for…
Is an outdoor hot tub Coverage A, B or C under a homeowners policy? If damaged by a covered peril, is recovery on a replacement cost or an ACV basis? If the cause of loss is freezing of a water line or equipment, is that covered or is it excluded because of the insured’s failure…
A homeowner has his vinyl siding painted a darker color. Direct or reflected sunlight then causes the siding to warp. Does his HO policy cover this damage? If liable, does a neighbor’s HO policy cover a liability claim that the damage was due to reflected light from the neighbor’s windows? To answer the question of…
In July 2015, on the campus of UCLA, a 30-inch water main had some sort of catastrophic failure, causing a massive geyser of water, estimated to be around 30-feet high, to erupt from under the road. Over 20,000,000 gallons of water gushed into campus buildings and lower levels of parking decks, stranding over 1,000 cars.…
An insured owns a home on the water and he has a floating dock anchored next to a buoy approximately 150 feet from shore. He wants to know if the ISO HO-3 policy will cover liability arising out of the use of that dock.
A boat dock was damaged by boats blown in a windstorm. The adjuster has denied the claim, citing the “water damage” exclusion reference to water damage “whether or not driven by wind.” Does this exclusion apply in this non-ISO homeowners policy?
A burst water pipe in a neighbor’s yard causes water damage to flooring in your insured landlord’s rental home. The rental home DP insurer denies the damage, citing the “surface water” exclusion. The neighbor’s HO insurer says they only have to pay ACV and won’t replace mismatched carpeting that wasn’t directly damaged. What can your…
An agency insured has joint custody with his ex-wife of their 17-year-old daughter. The daughter lives with the insured during the school year but spends most of the summer and holidays with her mother on a small farm. Her mom has an old Ford F-350 pickup truck at the farm that she lets her daughter…
Homes and the personal property within them are the frequent victims of sewer backup that originates on or off the residence premises. The question is, to what extent, if any, are these losses covered or excluded by the ISO HO program and its various coverage forms and endorsements? These questions are answered in this definitive…
A squirrel entered a community center building that had just undergone a $2 million renovation. It either gnawed some wiring or otherwise came in contact with the electrical system, causing a major power surge. Three newly installed HVAC systems were severely damaged, along with parts of the boiler system. Estimated damage was $300,000. Is this…
