Lori Johnston
Seeing the sights at a national park or living where bears roam could open the door to hungry ones seeking food in your car, truck or SUV.
Bears, with their strong sense of smell and ravenous appetites, can be more violent and costly than a thief who’s itching to swipe your purse, wallet or stereo system. Rest assured, however: Your auto insurance pays for bear damage if you’ve got comprehensive coverage.
Shauna Veo, personal lines manager at the Neil-Garing Agency in Glenwood Springs, Colo., points out that comprehensive coverage is optional. Such coverage pays for non-crash damage from things like storms, vandalism, fires — and, yes, even bear break-ins.
A bear caused so much damage to Jeremy Lowell’s SUV in Aspen, Colo., that an insurance adjuster totaled the car.The grizzly bear attack in July at Yellowstone National Park that killed a California man emphasizes the potential for serious injury and property damage in spots populated by bears.
Family’s car destroyed by bear
Most bear break-ins result in a few thousand dollars worth of damage, which will be paid by your insurer if you have comprehensive coverage, Veo says. But this summer, Neil-Garing Agency handled a claim for Jeremy Lowell, an Aspen, Colo., resident whose car was totaled after a bear break-in.
“We’ve seen other ones where they’ve got partially in or tore up the outside. This is the first car that’s been totaled from this type of claim,” Veo says.
Lowell’s 2009 Toyota RAV4 was on the road just above his Aspen driveway, which had just been resurfaced in June 2011 when the bear broke in.
Lowell says his 18-year-old son, Alec, came into his bedroom about 12:30 a.m. and said he thought a bear was in the SUV – which was next to three other cars about 150 feet from the home – because the horn kept sounding. When they ventured outside, they saw the bear had opened a rear passenger door of the SUV.
The Lowells had brought home takeout Chinese food – barbecue spare ribs and chicken fried rice – in the RAV4 that evening. They had removed the food from the car when they arrived home about 7 p.m.
“I guess the odor was enough that the bear opened the door and searched everywhere for the food and literally tore every panel off the door, tore the entire dashboard apart, tore the back panel, broke the windshield and bent the steering wheel in the process,” Lowell says. “By the time we got to the car, it had escaped through the rear passenger door.”
The bear also set off air bags, damaged the electrical wiring when he ripped apart the dashboard and panels, and scratched the paint. Lowell called police, who told him a report did not need to be filed. The next morning, he contacted his insurance company. An insurance adjuster estimated repairs would cost $26,000.
“The car was only valued at $24,000, so they considered it a total loss,” Lowell says.
Bears can take a toll
Here’s what a hungry bear might do to your car:
• Break the windows.
• Rip open the doors.
• Scratch the exterior.
• Shred the upholstery.
• Claw through the back seat (seeking to enter the trunk).
• Bend the frame.
• Destroy the dashboard.
• Defecate on the seats.
Food lures bears
Veo says all of the companies her agency represents — including Progressive, Chubb and Travelers — cover bear break-in claims if the owner has optional comprehensive coverage. Once the policyholder meets the deductible (typically $250, $500 or $1,000), the remainder of the damage is covered by the insurer, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
But if you’re visiting or moving to an area with a big population of bears, Veo recommends reviewing your policy to make sure you have coverage.
No matter where you live, food is the main reason that opportunistic bears break into vehicles.
“It’s just the smell of the food. They’re interested in food,” says Christopher Servheen, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Missoula, Mont.
A bear forages for food at a national park campsite.Bear break-ins are more likely to occur in late summer and fall because bears try to eat more during those times to put on weight for hibernation, he says.
Incidents are fairly common at Yosemite National Park in California, where hundreds of American black bears live. Financial damage reported at Yosemite in 2010 totaled nearly $113,000. About 85 percent of the damage in more than 500 cases involved cars.
Where the bears are
While bear break-ins happen fairly often in Colorado and California, black bears can be found in at least 40 of the 50 states.
“It can happen in anybody’s driveway if there are bears around, and particularly if they have food in their vehicle or if their neighbor has food in their vehicle,” Servheen says.
If a window is not fully closed, the bear can pull on it and break it. Servheen says he’s seen extreme cases where bears have bent door frames. “The bears can open it up like a can and get in that way,” he says.
If you don’t want a bear to treat your car like a can, follow these tips:
• Remove all trash. That includes canned food and drinks, fast food, candy wrappers and even baby wipes.
• Close the windows.
• Use bear-proof food lockers if you’re at a park, particularly at night.
• Clear the clutter. This means crumbs of food, or items that may be under seats or in cup holders.
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Filed under insurance by on Jul 19th, 2011. Comment. 
Depending on where you live, winter may bring you freezing temperatures, rain or snow. You may spending time in front of a cozy fire — or you may be on your hands and knees, mopping up water from a burst pipe, leaking roof or flood.
If the worst happens, insurance can cover your losses. But what’s covered and not covered varies, depending on your policy type. Also, what you do after the damage happens can help or hurt the chances of your home insurance claim being approved.
Keep in mind that insurers view water damage in two broad categories:
1. Water from above (rainstorm, ice storm or leaking pipe).
2. Water from below (floodwater).
Your homeowner’s insurance will cover a sudden, accidental pipe break, but not a slow leak that’s gone undetected for months or years.Rainstorms and pipe leaks
Water damage is a common reason for filing an insurance claim. Winter storms caused an average of $1.25 billion in annual losses during the past decade, the Insurance Information Institute reports. The average homeowner’s insurance claim for water damage or freezing is nearly $5,900.
Will your water damage be covered? It depends on your policy type, says Rick Kinney, a licensed claims adjuster and owner of the advice site PropertyClaimTips.com.
Some policies cover little besides fire damage. Others include water damage only if it’s cited in the policy. Still others cover water damage as long as it is not specifically excluded in the policy. Read your policy carefully to know what’s covered.
If you experience damage from water or frozen water, you still may not be covered if your insurance company considers you negligent. For instance, if you had a summer home and forgot to drain the pipes when you left, or your pipes are improperly insulated, you may not be covered.
“If you ran out of heating oil or propane, and then your pipes freeze, your insurance will deny your claim,” Kinney says.
One important thing to note if you’re filing a claim for water damage: You’ll need to prove the damage was not caused by a slow leak that’s gone undetected for months or years, says Jeff Reinig, senior vice president for home policies at Farmers Insurance.
Flood insurance is available only through the National Flood Insurance Program.“Water damage is covered from a sudden, accidental pipe break, for instance,” Reinig says.
Mold damage is even trickier. Coverage parameters vary by state. As with water damage, the mold must have been caused by sudden water damage, not a gradual buildup.
Flood insurance
If you think your property is in danger of flooding, there’s only one resource for insurance – the federal government. Since 1968, all U.S. flood insurance has been offered through the National Flood Insurance Program, according to Farmers’ Reinig. If you’re in an area prone to flooding, you may be required to obtain flood insurance to secure a home mortgage.
If you’re at risk, it is well worth obtaining coverage. Last year, the National Weather Service reports, coastal storms, flash floods and river flooding caused more than $1 billion worth of combined property damage.
But keep in mind that federal flood insurance has its limits. You can obtain up to $250,000 of building-damage coverage. Meanwhile, coverage for your belongings is capped at $100,000.
Beyond there, you’re out of luck unless your flood is declared a federal disaster, in which case you may be eligible for additional aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Claim tips
For your best chance at getting your water damage claim paid by your insurance, act quickly. Call your insurance agent immediately — many will dispatch a team right away to help minimize damage, Farmers’ Reinig says. If no help is imminent, take photos to document your damage, then take action yourself to stop the problem and begin cleaning up.
“Keep all the evidence, even if you have to pile sopping-wet insulation in the backyard and cover it with a tarp,” Reinig says.
Your home insurer will send an adjuster to estimate the damage and present you with a settlement offer, PropertyClaimTips.com’s Kinney says. If you think your insurer’s estimate is too low, you can hire your own adjuster to do another estimate. The two estimates then go to binding arbitration, and an “umpire” appointed by the two estimators will make a final decision on the payment amount.
An ounce of prevention
The best way to cope with winter water hazards is to take steps to prevent damage. Here are some tips from State Farm Insurance:
The average homeowner’s claim for water damage and freezing during the winter totals nearly $6,000.Water
• Check for leaks in hoses on your dishwasher, washing machine and refrigerator.
• Watch for evidence of a slow leak, such as warped, discolored or soft flooring, wet spots on the floor or water-damaged cabinets.
• Check pipes under sinks for drips.
• Check bathtubs and showers for failing grout and re-caulk as needed.
• Check for hidden leaks by stopping all water use and recording the meter reading. If the meter reading keeps going up, there may be an undetected leak.
• Make sure all family members know where the water shutoff valve is and how to use it.
Freeze
• If you’re going to be away from your permanent home or summer getaway, ask someone to stop by to check the property.
• Be sure to drain pipes or keep the thermostat on to avoid freezing.
• In extreme cold, keep a small trickle of water running through the faucet.
• Close exterior doors for unheated spaces.
• Install a household water-leak detection system.
–Carol Tice
Filed under insurance by on Jan 24th, 2011. Comment.
Although your landlord probably has liability and property damage coverage, you're on the hook for replacing your personal property. Check your rental agreement for the specifics.
Each renter's insurance policy will provide property damage and liability coverage up to a specific dollar amount. It's a good idea to make an inventory of your personal possessions, keeping photos or video and receipts. That way, you won't have to convince a claims adjuster that your brand-new sofa wasn't a hand-me-down futon. Make sure that appliances connected to water lines, like dishwashers and washing machines, are in sound working condition.
Like home insurance, a standard renter's policy will not cover flood damage. Government-backed programs allow you to buy flood insurance, and many insurance companies sell flood riders for existing renter's insurance policies.
A standard renter's policy will pay for temporary housing and transportation while you wait for repairs or seek alternative accommodation. Save all your receipts for expenses due to living away from home so that you can make a successful claim for "additional living expenses."
Filed under insurance by on Jan 12th, 2011. Comment.