You've been eyeing that tree that has a long, large limb hanging over into your yard. Perhaps it is touching the top of your home or even scraping against your siding. Then a storm comes, the tree limb snaps and it hits your home, causing damage to it. Who is responsible for the damage? What should you do to get that damage repaired properly? Home insurance is there to help. Even better, if you are unsure who is responsible, your agent is likely to help you to make that decision.
Determining Responsibility for Tree Limb Damage
In most situations, the first and only step that you need to take is to call your home insurance agent. Most of the time, tree limb damage is covered by your home insurance plan. That means that you are not likely to have to pay out of pocket for the losses. Generally speaking, your home insurance will cover the losses to your home no matter who owns the tree.
However, there are limitations to this. For example, if the tree is not being maintained and is in poor condition, resulting in the tree limb falling and striking your home, the coverage may not be covered at all. Home insurance only covers damage that is sudden and accidental, not damage from poor maintenance and prevention. If this has occurred and it is due to your neighbor's failure to maintain his or her tree, you may need to file a claim with their insurance or, more commonly, through an attorney.
What Should You Do?
If you have damage to your home, your property coverage is likely to cover it if it stems from an accidental and sudden loss. This generally includes losses such as damage to the roof and siding as well as clean-up of the branch. There are often limits on how much coverage is available (most often this is about $1,000).
Take a look at your home insurance policy to know more about what it covers for you and what types of risks it may not. Most importantly, if your neighbor's tree is a risk to your home, ask them to take care of it to avoid such situations.
Ensure your protection. Call Peachstate Insurance at (877) 997-2478 for more information on Stockbridge GA home insurance.