Home Insurance Coverage For Neighbor Damage

​Many disputes in neighborhoods are due to different kinds of damages caused by either party. With that said, if your neighbor is to blame for damage to your property, you might be able to file a claim with your home insurance.

What Is Considered Neighbor Damage?
Neighbor damage can include major incidents like fire, flood, damage to property, and accidents. However, things that would look like minor harm, like a window that was unintentionally broken by a football, vandalism, mildly harmful plants, noise, pets, and driveway blocking, may also be covered.  

What To Do In This Situation?

1. Communicate
   Asking your neighbor to cover the cost of repair or replacement if they cause damage to your property would be the best thing to do. 
   
   
2. Reach out to your insurance company
   In cases where the other party refuses to/cannot compensate, you may be able to claim on your home insurance policy to pay out, depending on the circumstances. 
   
   
3. Keep pieces of evidence
   Regardless of the situation, it is wise to keep evidence like leaving the damaged area intact, actual items affected, or photos. Proof might play a factor just in case you need to mount a legal defense when you are being sued. Insurance should cover you when this happens.
   
   
4. Take note of what the policy covers
   As mentioned above, this is a common cause of dispute. You might be able to pursue legal action against a neighbor for uninsured losses using your home legal protection insurance. Some home insurance policies may provide family legal protection or legal expenditures insurance. However, you may also purchase it separately as an additional coverage.

Does Neighbor Insurance Coverage Work Inversely?
Your neighbors are not automatically liable for the damage caused to your property. On the other hand, you are not also subject to accountability until it is proven that you have prior knowledge about the cause of the damage on your part. Your insurer should be able to guide you about the details of a specific case.

Will A Claim Cost You Money?
It is important to keep the home insurance excess in mind that depending on your excess, you may be required to pay a portion of the bill. Additionally, any no-claims bonus and the price of the future cost of your insurance premiums may be affected. Filing the claim could result in you losing your no-claims bonus.

Conclusion
A good insurance company will always try to put their customers first by providing comprehensive policies that fit their budget and needs. Nowadays, home insurance is a necessity that makes your life easier.

At Black And Associates Insurance, Inc., we do our best in making sure that our clients are well-protected with affordable and comprehensive policies. We make sure to go the extra mile to help you with your needs. To learn more about how we can help you, please contact our agency at (509) 464-0058 or Click Here to request a free quote.  Topics and coverage discussed in this article are not guaranteed, consult with your agents to determine what your policy does and does not cover. We are more than happy to help!