Have you noticed that the natural environment has become more and more wild lately? The amount of snow has returned as in that distant childhood, the amount of rain has increased as in England and Wales wind speeds have increased as on the ocean coast, where people go surfing and kayaking. Also, the thermometer bar tends to level to -20 degrees again in winter and delight in summer at +25 degrees.
Have you thought about the effects of natural disasters and weather on your property? Today we will talk about unusual circumstances, and how insurance can protect you from unforeseen expenses.
Fire
Latvia is not characterized by such a high temperature that something starts to ignite on its own, from heat or from an object that has become thoroughly heated. (These are more typical of the south or very popular in Australia). If we ever find ourselves in a situation where the air temperature is heated in such a way that there is a sudden and unforeseen spread of fire, and this will damage your property, you will know that buying a home insurance policy will protect you from the financial damage caused by this fire.
Storm
The storm and the damage it causes are very hot right now. For more than a week now, the wind speed has been in force in our country as well, and it can be called a storm. Announced in the country orange and even red alerts. People, pedestrians and drivers need to be careful when going around on a daily basis, as falling trees, flying, inflated objects and torn down roofs or parts thereof may have an everyday view at wind speeds of at least 16 m / s.
According to the insurers' property insurance regulations, the storm speed must be at least 15m / s (Gjensidige) and 17m / s (Balta, BAN, BTA, Compensa, Ergo and IF) for insurance policy would compensate for wind damage. So if you have been damaged by a storm, for example, your property has been left without a roof and the wind speed in your area has been greater than 17m / s (data from the nearest meteorological station), then you can apply for insurance indemnity.
Hail
This natural disaster is the most common cause of damage to car owners, as returning to their car often results in significant body scratches, bumps and other damage that accounts for significant costs. Also this year, Latvia was surprised by such a hailstorm. The largest number of damage is due to damage to glazing and greenhouse glass. Yes You have a property insurance policy, which will cover such losses.
Earthquake
Although this phenomenon is quite rare in our latitudes, this is a standard risk in insurance policies to compensate for damage and financial loss to the land. vibration, if it reaches at least 4 magnitudes on the Richter scale. If the earthquake has been below these 4 points, the policy will not compensate for the loss.
Floods
If you think of flooding a bathroom with an unopened faucet, you will be wrong, because in that case it is called flooding. In this article we will only look at property insurance risks that fall into the category of natural disasters. The risk of flooding is limited to bodies of water which have left the shores and flooded. Often insurance In addition, the regulations state that this event may not occur more than once every X years.
For example, if the Lielupe overflows every year or every 2-3 years as a result of thawing and your property is flooded, it will no longer be considered sudden and unforeseen. insured event because it recurs periodically.
Weight of snow or ice
In Latvia, too, the snow surprises us unprepared and as a result of excessive snow, a large amount of snow accumulates on the roof, which sometimes proves to be heavy for the roof load. or an incomplete place on the roof is discovered and damage to your property occurs as a result of melting snow. The insurance regulations usually state what is perceived as sudden increase of snow layer - 100mm in 12 hours and if during this rapid increase of snow, which is happening to your property, for example, the roof breaks, then the insurance the policy will cover the damage caused.
Remember that you are responsible for keeping your property in order, the snow on the roof must be cleaned. If there is heavy snowfall and excessive roof build-up, then you can not wait for the thaw, because if the insured event occurs after a week and you have not cleared the snow, then it will most likely be considered negligence and it will be the basis insurance to reduce claims. Read the rules of each insurer carefully or consult your insurance specialist so that you are always aware of the following: nuances when concluding a particular type of insurance.
Precipitation entering the site
Yes, it is also possible to insure against this risk. If excessive rainfall from the roof, wall joints or joints causes water to enter your property and cause damage For your decoration, a home insurance policy will compensate for the cost of repairing the damage. It should be noted that precipitation entering the property through the underground (basement, parking lot) or through the terrace and balcony, the insurance policy is unlikely to cover these losses.
As with flood risks, this may not be the norm. If water footprints / water damage appear on the wall in your room every time it rains, the insurance the policy will not cover the same loss for the second, third and fourth time. Damaged areas on the roof or wall must be repaired.
Lightning Strike
Insurance policies, for most insurers, also cover lightning strikes. In order for the police to cover losses, the lightning strike must be in your insured person on the object or land on which your property is located.
A lightning strike usually ends in a "broken plug", but there are also cases where it causes a fire or damages the electrical insulation of electrical appliances, appliances and other equipment. The wires melt and the machine is no longer usable. The policy will compensate for fire damage caused by lightning, but you must find out separately about damage to electrical equipment (melted wires), as this risk is usually not included in the standard policy.
Falling trees or masts
If you have a suspicious tree, a flagpole or a road sign near your house and it falls on the property owned and insured by you as a result of the force of free gravity, then The insurance policy will cover such damages (of course, if the policy covers this risk, as not all standard policies have it). This risk also allows this ‘suspicious’ the object is exposed to a person (third party), ie the tree is cut down or the road sign is changed and then falls on your property. If you live in a circle surrounded by trees, find out if this is the case included in your property policy.
Review of what's being discussed today
Although all natural disasters do not affect our latitudes or occur very rarely, it is easy to insure against damage. Usually in insurance policies this goes under total risk called “natural disasters” and you don’t have to pay extra for each of them.
If any of the above elements occur, the amount of damage is usually estimated at more than EUR 1 000, as in the case of a torn roof, in the repair of a flooded living room, not to mention for damage caused by fire. A property insurance policy that includes not only natural risks will cost up to 100 EUR per year (of course, it all depends on how big your property).
As always - When purchasing a policy, remember to read each insurance policy carefully or consult your insurance professional about the insurance policy you are interested in. program and specific risks.
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