In recent news, witnesses speculated that a UFO destroyed a wind turbine in the U.K. Naturally this begs the question, "What if a UFO crashed into your house instead?" Some homeowners may fear an insurer's response to such a claim more than the actual repair costs themselves, but that could change.
Julie Carter of Adrian Flux, a U.K.-based specialist insurance broker, recalls that when the company's Household division was first established 10 years ago, many insurers were ambivalent about meeting bizarre claims involving an "act of alien."
"Claims for freak household disasters are nothing new," Carter said. "But if something like this happens, homeowners too often fear the response from an insurer. They worry that it will be up to the policyholder to prove that a 'little green man' was responsible."
Today, Flux Household has been leading the way in flexible insurance that caters for a wider range of risks. Out of curiosity, Flux contacted various insurance companies to gauge their willingness to compensate policyholders for damages stemming from some rather strange scenarios, including:
- A meteorite strikes a home.
- A stampede of wildebeests on the run from a local safari park plows into a house.
- A vindictive ex-husband bulldozes the residence to the ground.
- Alas, a UFO strikes.
Surprisingly, the insurers Flux contacted issued a resounding (albeit preliminary) "yes" to coverage in the aforementioned cases. Even so, Carter cautioned homeowners to notify their insurers of all modifications made to a dwelling long before disaster ever strikes.
"Now if that includes putting a flying saucer landing pad on the roof, then you need to be certain [that] it can bear the weight," she said. "So fears about household insurance not covering the improbable are now misplaced."
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