A boulder fell from the Rims and smashed into your home? Insurance probably won’t cover that
Most home insurance policies cover what's known as "comprehensive peril," which includes coverage for damage from things like falling objects. However, boulders that slough off the Rims and crash into a home aren't considered falling objects. They're part of what's known as an earth movement exclusion.
Most homeowner policies have a number of exclusions, said
"The key is looking at the policy exclusions," Bidlake said. "It's a very, very broad exclusion for earth movement."
Earth movement exclusions typically take effect when the ground under a home sinks, rises, shifts, expands or contracts. It can also exclude damage that results from earthquakes, landslides and mudslides, sinkholes or erosion.
Many homeowners policies will offer earthquake coverage separately if a customer elects to buy it. But earthquake insurance won't provide coverage for boulders that fall from the Rims, Bidlake said.
It's hard to find any kind of coverage that will specifically cover the kind of threat presented by living under the Rims.
"I think you're just out of luck," Bidlake said.
"There is no single standalone option," she said.
The closest thing was a product offered by an out-of-state company called homeowners catastrophe coverage. She's been trying to track down information about the policy this week; it's been a busy summer under the Rims.
On Wednesday evening a boulder crashed through the back of a home on 3000 block of
The one incident most people point to is the home at
In
"If you're going to live under the Rims there's a certain risk you're going to assume," Bidlake said.
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