A dozen surprising events covered by homeowners insurance

There are common losses that homeowners generally know will be covered by their insurance. Property damage caused by fire or the weather top that list, according to the Insurance Information Institute. The I.I.I. further reports that wind and hail damage, freezing pipes damage, and lightning damage are leading causes of homeowners' insurance claims. But there are other, less common loss events and circumstances that homeowners may not recognize are covered by their insurance. Educating policyholders about such uncommon losses can be a great way for insurance agents and brokers to build trust and value. These conversations also are ideal for alerting clients to events that are not covered by typical homeowners insurance policies, such as earthquake or flood damage, along with events that might be covered with the purchase of a specific rider. The slideshow above illustrates a dozen unusual losses that homeowners may be surprised to learn are covered by their property insurance, based on research from insurance.com and bankrate.com. See also:

• How much does filing a claim impact home insurance rates?
• Lightning caused $1.3B in U.S. homeowners claims
• 6 unusual losses covered by homeowners insurance