Earthquake Insurance, Sinkhole Insurance & More

Do you live in an earthquake zone?  Do you have earthquake insurance?  If you don't know, call TruePoint at (502) 410-5089
US Earthquake Zones

Words and their usage impact our daily lives. As a kid, my mother would on a regular basis reminding me to watch my P’s and Q’s. This was not a suggestion to be on my best behavior. It was a threat that even the slightest slip in my manners would have severe repercussions. What and how we say things have been an issue for generations. But a solid case exists that communication is more important now that ever before. While the thought may seem hysterical at first, let in sink in for a moment. Most would agree that America has become precariously litigious. For years our actions have exposed us to constant risk. Today our words are placing us at jeopardy. As a result, it has become critical for Americans to develop greater awareness.
What is earthquake insurance?.

Standard insurance doesn't cover loss due to earthquakes.  Earthquake Insurance is add by endorsement.
Earthquake Damage


Earthquake – a term used to reference the movement of two tectonic plates along a fault line. The tectonic plates move past each other at a slow pace building up stress along the way. This continues until finally the plates slip releasing enormous amounts of seismic energy. This energy then results in a violent shaking of the ground. This is also referred to as an earthquake. Earthquakes can be the result of both tectonic action or volcanic.
The word Earthquake seems simple enough. But it isn’t. Your insurance policy most likely excludes loss caused by the movement of earth. How does that impact me? Ground that shifts, sinks, expands, contracts, or rises may create serious issues. That includes earthquakes, sinkholes, mudslides, landslides, and more. How serious? Your insurance company “Will Not Pay, Serious”! You can avoid this crisis by simply having the proper endorsements. But be cautious. You can purchase an earthquake endorsement. But what will it cover? Losses due to an earthquake! Nothing else. Related risk such as mudslides, sinkholes, and others are not covered. Failure to understand how this impacts your insurance may result in serious coverage issues. Failure to understand may result in no coverage.

Movement of earth is not covered by standard insurance.  That includes earthquakes, sinkholes and several more items.
Sinkholes are covered by standard insurance policy


Will your insurance pay in the event of an earthquake? Does a Homeowners policy or a Commercial Property policy protect against earthquakes? Earthquake coverage is not offered by a standard insurance policy. But, for most, earthquake coverage is available. It can be in the form of an earthquake endorsement. If asked to waive your right to earthquake coverage, we suggest that you ask the agent for a quote. It may not be as expensive as you think.
Most of us are insured by the Special Form, also known as All Risks Coverage. Earthquake protection is excluded by the Covered Causes of Loss Form. The exclusion reads so that damages that are a result of EARTH MOVEMENT are excluded. Inquire about the cost of an earthquake endorsement. With the in hand, you can now decide if you want to transfer the risk. In the process don’t forget the other risk associated with earth movement. The earthquake endorsement doesn’t cover these. We advise customers to consider each of the risks and if appropriate, evaluate the risk/reward.

What about hidden damages?  Are minor damages covered?  They are, but deductibles may be more than the loss.
Check your Deductibles for Earthquake. They will be higher than you are used too.

ance varies from one insurance company to the next. If you make a comparison for companies, you will find earthquake policies vary. If you have multiple homes in various states you should review individual policies. We advise this as earthquake endorsements issued by the same company may vary from one state to another.
Earthquake deductibles should be considered. Don’t be surprised to see a 10 to 20% deductible. These are pretty much par for the course. Any higher and it is probably worth your time to shop around.
As noted earlier, earthquakes represent only a small portion of the exposures related to the movement of earth. Because we live in the Ohio Valley, we can shorten the list. While anything is possible, most would agree that some of the risks aren’t as threatening as others. The risk that should be considered by most in our area:

  • Erosion,
  • Failure to suitably compact building sites,
  • Sinkholes
  • Deficiencies pertaining to site selection
  • Earthquakes
  • and Landslides

Add in mud-flows, mudslides, and volcanoes and we have a reasonable understanding of the movement of earth risk. Kentucky homeowners and business owners need to consider these and several other forces.
Standard policies may leave serious gaps. Property coverages leave most structures exposed the movement of earth. Don’t assume that your only option is to self-insure. Ask TruePoint. By asking the simple question, “how can I eliminate more exposures related to the movement of earth?” You will likely find that in some cases, options exist. Becoming increasingly more available is sinkhole insurance. Broader coverage in the form of earth movement riders may also be an enhanced risk transfer option.
If you would like to learn more about eliminating insurance gaps related to the movement of earth, reach out to a TruePoint Insurance Agent. We can be reached at (502) 410-5089.

Commercial Insurance-Vacant Buildings

Vacant Commercial BuildingVacancy Provision

In some ways, personal insurance and commercial insurance have common threads.  But don’t kid yourself, getting your arms around commercial insurance is a considerable challenge.

Under a commercial property policy, coverage is significantly different for buildings that are vacant for extended periods. Usually, certain types of coverage are completely eliminated during the vacancy. Insurance companies are interested in protecting ongoing businesses and premiums are based upon active occupancy. Continued, full coverage may be provided, but that is only at the insurance company’s discretion. If a vacant risk is accepted, it usually means paying more premium.

Definitions

Before any coverage restrictions can be imposed, the insurance company must define exactly what they mean by vacancy and the definition is affected by the type of occupancy:

Tenant – When the insured is a tenant and the policy covers that insured’s property interest, the definition of building is the unit or suite Business Space for Lease in Lawrenceburg, KY that has been rented or leased to the tenant. That building is considered vacant when it no longer contains enough business personal property to conduct the customary operations of the insured tenant.

Building Owner Or General Lessee – When the insured is a building owner or general lessee, building is defined as the entire building. The building is considered vacant UNLESS a specified percentage of the total square footage is rented to a lessee or sub-lessee and used by the lessee or sub-lessee to conduct its customary operations OR is used by the building owner to conduct customary operations.

Buildings Under Construction – Buildings that are under construction or renovation are not considered to be vacant.

Vacancy Provisions

Now that vacancy has been defined, the vacancy condition can be stated. If the building where loss or damage occurs has been vacant (see definition above) for more than 60 consecutive days before the loss:

  • the insurance company will pay NOTHING if the loss was caused by vandalism, sprinkler leakage, glass breakage, water damage, or theft (including damage from attempted theft).
  • the insurance company will reduce any loss amount by 15% if the claim is due to any Covered Cause of Loss not listed above.

Vacancy PermitReturn to TruePoint Home Page

When vacancy does occur, many companies, for an additional premium, will add a provision (sometimes called a Vacancy Permit). This form changes the policy wording so that it provides coverage for the property during specific time periods when the applicable premises are vacant.

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Special Form

TruePoint Insurance we are insuring Kentucky dot comKey Insurance Words and Phrases

August 4, 2018

Special Form (Homeowners Insurance Covered Causes of Loss: Special Form)

The Special Form is the most comprehensive of the three ISO (International Organization for Standardization) forms used by the insurance industry.  The forms are used to define which perils or causes of loss are covered.  Unlike the Basic and Broad Form, the Special Form does not specify the covered causes of loss.  This form actually covers all causes of loss unless they have been specifically excluded.  Generally, the Special Form excludes coverages for the following perils:

  • Earthquake                                                Return to TruePoint Home Page
  • Flood
  • Neglect
  • Ordinance of Law
  • Power Failure
  • Intentional Acts,
  • War
  • Nuclear Hazard

copyrighted 2015-2018 TruePoint insurance group, llc all rights reserved

copyrighted 2015-2018 TruePoint insurance group, llc all rights reserved

Broad Form

TruePoint Insurance we are insuring Kentucky dot comKey Insurance Words and Phrases

August 4, 2018

Broad Form (Homeowners Insurance Covered Causes of Loss: Broad Form)

The Broad Form is one of three ISO (International Organization for Standardization) use by the insurance industry to define which perils or causes of loss are covered.  Generally, the Broad Form covers the perils covered by the Basic Form (see below):

  • Wind, Hail                                                    Return to TruePoint Home Page
  • Lightning
  • Fire
  • Smoke
  • Explosion
  • Sprinkler Leakage
  • Sinkhole Collapse
  • Riot
  • Civil Commotion
  • Collison by Aircraft
  • Collision by Vehicles
  • Vandalism
  • Volcanic Activity

Plus the Following:

Special House
Click to learn more about the special form

  • Burglary
  • Falling Objects
  • Weight of Ice and Snow
  • Artificially Generated Electricity
  • Freezing of Plumbing

copyrighted 2015-2018 TruePoint insurance group, llc all rights reserved