Residue from Kerosene Lamp

December 7, 2012

A kerosene lamp was used at a secondary residence in the springtime.  The soot was later discovered when the insured returned to the residence and noticed the film on walls, floors, personal items, etc.  Would the cleanup of this soot be covered as a sudden and accidental claim on the homeowners policy?

New York Subscriber

The coverage for sudden and accidental smoke damage generally refers to puff backs which occur all at once. While your damage is accidental, it does not sound like it was sudden – the film probably accumulated over time, similar to someone regularly smoking a pipe or cigarettes. Therefore there is no coverage.