Claims

Browse our articles about claims

July 17, 2026

Lightning, Power Surges and Damaged Electronics

Lightning is a named peril on every home policy. Surges from other causes are treated differently, and the exclusion that follows is easy to miss until a claim.

Insuring a Salvage or Rebuilt Title Vehicle

A rebuilt title car can usually be insured for liability. Physical damage coverage is a different question, and so is what the car is worth at claim time.

Stacking Uninsured Motorist Coverage: What It Means

Stacking combines UM and UIM limits across vehicles or policies for a single claim. Whether you can do it, and whether you already are, is decided by state law.

Flood-Damaged Cars: Claims, Titles and Buying Used

Water damage to a vehicle is a comprehensive claim, not a flood policy claim. Here is how those claims settle, how flood titles work, and how to check a used car.

Hit and Run: Which of Your Coverages Pays

When the other driver leaves, there is no liability policy to claim against. Here is which of your own coverages responds, and the physical contact rule that decides some claims.

Hiring a Public Adjuster: When It Helps and What It Costs

A public adjuster works for the policyholder rather than the insurer, for a percentage of the claim. Here is when that makes sense and how the three adjuster roles differ.

Property Away From Home: Cars, Storage Units and Travel

A laptop stolen from your car is usually a home or renters claim, not an auto one. Here is how off-premises personal property coverage works and where it is reduced.

Insuring an Older or Historic Home: HO-8 and Rebuild Cost

Older homes cost more to rebuild than to buy and raise specific underwriting issues. Here is what an HO-8 form does and when replacement cost is not available.

Insuring a Second Home or Vacation Property

A secondary residence is underwritten differently from a primary one, mostly because nobody is there. Here is what changes and how rental use complicates it further.

Coinsurance and Insurance to Value: The 80 Percent Rule

Underinsuring a home can reduce what you collect on a partial loss, not just a total one. Here is how a coinsurance clause works and why replacement cost provisions depend on it.

Sinkholes, Landslides and the Earth Movement Exclusion

Standard home policies exclude earth movement, which covers far more than earthquakes. Here is what falls inside the exclusion and how Florida treats sinkholes differently.

Mold: What a Home Policy Covers and What It Caps

Mold coverage is usually excluded and then partly bought back with a low sublimit. Here is how causation decides a mold claim and what the limited fungi endorsement does.

Coverage B: Sheds, Fences and Detached Garages

Other structures coverage is usually a percentage of the dwelling limit, and it is easy to outgrow. Here is what counts as a separate structure and what falls outside it.

Sublimits: Where Your Personal Property Coverage Runs Out

Coverage C has a headline limit and a set of much smaller caps hidden inside it. Here are the categories that are capped and what to do about the ones that matter to you.

When a Tree Falls: Whose Insurance Pays for What

A neighbour's tree on your roof is usually your claim, not theirs. Here is how home policies handle fallen trees, removal costs, and damage to the landscaping itself.

This content is for general informational purposes only and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice. Coverage, exclusions, eligibility, and pricing vary by insurer, by policy, and by state, and only the policy documents control what is covered. Always confirm the details of any coverage with a licensed insurance agent or the issuing carrier before you buy.