Different things can happen anytime without warning. This is why it is always beneficial to have insurance for your life and assets. This is to protect you financially from any loss, liability, injury or damage that may occur to you, your assets or a third party.
Home insurance protects you from accidents like fire, theft, destruction and any liability from a guest being injured in your home. One of the weirdest things that can also damage your house is a tree falling on the structure of your house. Luckily, home insurance covers the structural protection of your house, which sometimes will be the result of a tree falling on your house. It is a long shot but it can happen, and that is what insurance is there for.
This article will go over what to do if a tree falls on house in Canada .
Speaking of home insurance, you can visit this site if you want to get a collection of quality quotes from the experienced team of advisors at Surex.
Home Insurance
Home insurance is no longer a luxury, it is now a necessity. Several random accidents can happen that will damage or cause injury to another in your home. You do not want the expenses to come out of your pocket, especially when you do not plan for them. Luckily, you do not have to own a home to have home insurance.
Home insurance covers potential damage or destruction that may occur in the interior and exterior of your house and its appurtenances. It also covers theft and any form of personal liability from an injury to a third party. The policy rate depends on your insurance company and the risks that are covered under your home insurance.
Aside from the fact that it is advisable to have home insurance, it is also required by law to insure your house. That gives you more reason to have home insurance coverage.
What Does it Cover
Here are some of the things a typical home insurance policy covers in Canada:
- Dwelling – Your home insurance covers your dwelling area in the house. What this means is that it covers your home building and attached structures like the porch, deck, and attached garage. The amount of coverage is usually enough to build the house or close to it.
- Detached Structures – The home insurance aside from covering attached structures, also makes provision for detached structures like a detached garage, fence or a tool house.
- Personal properties – A home insurance policy can also cover your properties within the house. This could be your furniture, gadgets or other appliances. It covers them against theft, damage or destruction.
- Loss of use – What this means is that your home insurance covers your expenses when you are unable to live in your home due to ongoing repairs. It is sometimes referred to as additional living expenses. It comes in handy when your home is too damaged to live in. The coverage may help you pay for a rental, food, hotel and other associated expenses pending when your home is being repaired.
- Liability Coverage – This covers any form of personal liability that you may incur should someone get injured in your home and wants to sue or needs medical attention. Different things may injure a guest in your home, it could range from your oven or to your dog. You may need financial assistance to cover the liability that may arise from that.
What To Do If A Tree Falls On Your House in Canada
The interior and exterior of your house are what make up your home. Different structures combine to make up the interior and exterior of your home. It could range from fire or structural damage.
One random thing that could happen is when a tree falls on your house. Having a tree within your compound has its benefits and could be viewed as a remote cause of an accident that may require insurance coverage.
Nevertheless, it can happen. Though random, it triggers a whole lot of events depending on the risks covered by your home insurance policies. It could be caused by things like lightning, heavy rain, and high winds.
Some of the questions you need to answer include, Is there any third party injured? Was any of your personal properties destroyed? And is the damage so severe that you may have to move out for repairs to be made? These questions can be conveniently answered depending on your insurance coverage.
Here are some of the things you should do if a tree fell on house:
- Evacuate everyone – This is the very first thing to do. Ensure that you evacuate every living thing within the house because when a tree falls, depending on the size of the tree, it may weaken the structural integrity of the house and it could collapse totally. Try to also pack an emergency bag containing first aid, clothes, and important documents.
- Call the fire service – Once you have safely evacuated every living thing, you can call your local fire service and any other emergency services to inform them of the accident. Do not try to climb the roof and deal with it yourself. This could be dangerous.
- Call your insurance company – The next thing is to call your insurance company to inform them of the accident. Luckily, most home insurance policies should cover whatever damages that may occur as a result of the fall of the tree. This will include the cost of removing the tree, roof repairs and any weakened wall. However, to successfully claim insurance in the case of such an accident, you must ensure that the tree did not fall due to your negligence. For example, if a dead and dry tree falls on your house, questions will be asked about why you did not make arrangements to remove the tree before it fell. It will be assumed that you had prior knowledge of the danger. Once you inform your insurer, they will tell you how to proceed. You should also take close-up pictures of the state of the house when it is safe to do so. This is so that you can show your insurance company.
- Contact your roofing contractor – Your roofing contractor will be able to give you quotes for repairs and let you know the extent of the damage. All this information is important when filing your insurance claim. Even though the insurance company may send their contractor, it will be good for you to have the information.