How To Prove To Insurance Damage Is From Lightning?

Because they will claim that many of the goods you have claimed were damaged were unconnected to the strike or that there is no proof that a strike occurred, insurance companies are fast to deny lightning insurance claims. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to demonstrate that there was a lightning strike and that the damage was caused as a direct result.

How To Prove To Insurance Damage Is From Lightning

You must provide evidence to support your claim that lightning harmed your residence and your possessions. As soon as it is safe to step outside, you should take pictures of any holes, char marks, or other damage to the exterior of your home.

However, a ground strike close to your house might harm both the plumbing and electrical systems in your house. You might also wish to search for and photograph any holes and char marks in your yard.

To check the items that have been damaged, you will need to call an electrician or a plumber as soon as possible. They are able to provide proof that the damage was brought on by a lightning strike and estimate the cost of any necessary replacements or repairs. It will be essential to give your insurance company both of these things in order to file a claim.

When lightning strikes a residence, electrical issues may arise throughout the structure or with anything plugged into the outlets. It is normal to lose big equipment that is wired into your home, such as your water heater or air conditioner, as well as plugged-in items that were plugged into the wall. In order to make a full claim, make sure you examine each of these items.

Does Car Insurance Cover A Lightning Strike?

Any vehicle struck by lightning will experience electrical issues. Some collisions may cause enough harm to completely destroy the car because the operating system is rendered useless. Just like with a claim for house damage, you will need to provide evidence when making a claim for this kind of harm.

This kind of damage will probably be covered if your car is covered by comprehensive insurance. If the strike happened in your driveway or on your property and you don’t have comprehensive insurance, you might be able to make a claim for the damage under our homeowner’s policy. The insurance company will put up a fight and it will be challenging to handle this claim.

How homeowners insurance covers lightning damage

A lightning strike can destroy electronics and wiring inside the walls, start a fire inside or outside your home, break delicate appliances, and even hurt you while you’re inside.

The good news is that practically all homeowner insurance policies include lightning strikes and lightning-caused fire as covered dangers with no exclusions. Additionally, a typical homeowners insurance policy should cover:

  • Personal belongings, including appliances, electronics, furniture, and other indoor items have been damaged or destroyed by lightning. The majority of insurance companies cover your personal belongings for between 50 and 70 percent of the amount you have for your home’s construction.
  • Additional living costs are those incurred while your damaged home is being fixed or rebuilt. This coverage typically represents 20% of the value of the home.
  • Other structures, up to 20% of the value of your dwelling coverage limit, including harm to a garage or shed on your property.

Insurers’ handling of lightning damage

According to Leigh Needelman, CEO and president of Florida Assurers, Inc., lightning is often described as “naturally generated electrical from the environment” for insurance purposes. It is typically divided into one of three categories:

How to protect your home from lightning

It won’t take much common sense to protect you from lightning-related risks:

  • On each floor of your house, install functional smoke detectors, flashlights, and fire extinguishers.
  • Connect your essential gadgets and appliances to suitable surge protectors.
  • Stay inside if you hear thunder, and stay away from standing water in sinks or bathtubs.
  • Be mindful of the season because late summer afternoons and evenings tend to see an increase in lightning strikes.
  • Lightning bolt: Your house or another piece of property is traversed by a lightning strike as it travels from the atmosphere to the ground. The majority of damage—including fire and charring—is often caused by this kind of lightning. Since the harm is immediately apparent, this is typically the easiest claim to collect, according to Needelman.
  • Lightning strikes close to the house but misses the building entirely. Typically, fewer damage results in this situation. In such circumstances, it may be more challenging for the insurance company to pinpoint the source of the damage. Sparks from a power company’s electrical lines or transformers, for example, might cause damage akin to a near-miss but are normally not covered by homeowners insurance.
  • Ground surge: When lightning strikes, the electricity in the surrounding area suddenly increases. The most typical lightning-related claim is this one. Fewer claims are paid out for this kind of damage since it might be challenging to demonstrate the presence of a ground surge caused by a nearby lightning strike.

What should I do if my car is struck by lightning?

If your car is struck by lightning, you should file an auto insurance claim as soon as you can, presuming you have comprehensive coverage. Electrical issues are more difficult to precise link to a lightning strike, although physical damage from lightning is very obvious evidence of the event.

If you think your car has lightning damage but were not present when the strike occurred, you should have a mechanic examine the vehicle as soon as possible to note any problems. If you want to demonstrate that a thunderstorm was the cause of the issues the mechanic reported, you can think about gathering weather information or storm reports. The additional details may make it simpler for your claim to be approved.

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