Top Causes of Property Insurance Claims

Everyone hopes that nothing will go wrong with their home, but unfortunately for most people, something does at some point. This is why it is important to have homeowner’s insurance to help cover the financial hardships you may be facing if something happens. Travelers released an  eight-year study of homeowner’s insurance claims between 2009 and 2016 to determine what the most common forms of damage are and to help people better protect themselves from those risks. They also included information about the most expensive claims overall. Here are the top damage types they identified in the report.

Wind

The report says that 24 percent of claims are from damages sustained by wind. Wind can damage roofs and collapse walls; it can send your patio furniture flying and knock down your trees. The reason wind is the most common is because it encompasses both tornadoes and hurricanes; two highly destructive disasters that can occur frequently. Couple this with other types of storms, and wind is a common factor in a great number of claims.  it accounts for 17 percent of the overall claim costs.

Water

The report split water damage between non-weather related and weather-related water damage. Non-weather-related damage was the cause of 20 percent of claims; weather-related was the cause of 11 percent of claims. Overall, water damage accounts for 31 percent of insurance claims.

The non-weather-related claims include leaks of different types, including plumbing and appliance failures. Your dishwasher, washing machine, and kitchen sink are more likely to lead to water damages in your home than rain or snow.

The weather-related water damage includes frozen pipes bursting, leaky roofs, ice dams, snow and ice melting or causing your roof to cave in, and more. While water damages that are not linked to the weather are the most common, heavy rainfall is still a huge factor in weather-related damages. Weather-related water damage accounts for only 7 percent of total claim costs. Flooding is another issue, but not many insurance plans will cover those damages.

Water damages can lead to mold, which is hard to get rid of once it sets in. It can also make the wood in your home rot, which is harder to detect than mold.

Hail

Hail accounts for 16 percent of the damages. A hailstorm can damage your roof, break windows, and damage the siding of your home. Hail is also the second most expensive damage to repair, at 20 percent of the total claim costs.

Theft

According to the FBI, there is a burglary every 20 seconds. With such frequency, it is no wonder that break-ins account for 6 percent of claims, for both damage and losses on a property.

Most Expensive Claim

While fire may not be the most common homeowner’s insurance claim, Travelers ranked it as the most expensive claim; it alone accounts for 25 percent of total claim costs.