Trees: Nature's Wonder Can Become Nature's Nightmare

By Colleen's Contributor Rhonda Levan

Autumn is a wonderful time to enjoy all of the lovely trees around us.  While nature’s beauty is almost always a great thing, sometimes those trees can turn into a homeowner’s nightmare.

What would you do if you pulled into your driveway to find that the afternoon storm has blown a tree down and it’s crushed the corner of your garage, as well as part of that sports car you waited so long to buy?  While your first priorities are the family’s safety and inspecting the damage, you’ll quickly turn your attention to expensive repairs and the insurance company’s role in the process.

Understanding the insurance rules can be an important part of navigating your way back to “life as usual.”  According to Debbie Dykes, a suburban Atlanta insurance agent, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind as you assess your next steps.

Generally, standard home insurance doesn’t pay for damage to trees, shrubs and other plants from a storm.  But, it does cover the damage a falling tree causes to structures that are covered under the insurance policy.

Here are some typical situations and how coverage generally works:

A tree in your yard falls on your neighbor’s roof, does your insurance pay?

Generally, your neighbor would file a claim on their homeowner’s insurance policy to take care of the damages.  The exception is if the tree is clearly dead, in which case it’s your responsibility to deal with it.  If it falls on your neighbor’s roof, your policy’s liability coverage might pay for the damage to the neighbor’s house.  However, insurance is supposed to protect people from unforeseen events.  Insurers are not in the business of paying for preventative maintenance.  If you were negligent in removing it, they may not pay.

Your car was damaged when a tree fell onto your driveway.  Who pays?

Comprehensive car insurance would provide coverage.  Unlike the liability portion of your car insurance which is mandatory by the state, comprehensive coverage is optional.  It pays for damage to your own vehicle from causes other than car accidents.

 What if a tree looks ready to fall down on your house—will your insurance company pay to remove the tree?

It depends, but probably not – insurance generally doesn’t cover preventative maintenance.

You have an old tree on your property and your next door neighbor is worried that it could fall over in a big storm.  Will your homeowner‘s insurance pay for cleanup if it falls in their yard?

If the tree hits his house, pool, fence or other structure, he should make a claim with his insurance company.  However, if it doesn’t hit anything, most likely nobody’s insurance policy will pay.  If that happens, it’s probably up to you to pay for cleanup if you want to keep your good neighbor relationship.

What do I do if I have damage from a fallen tree?

Report it to your insurance agent as soon as possible to get the claim settled quickly and accurately.  Do what you can to protect your property from further damage by making emergency repairs.  Take pictures and keep your receipts.  Submit these to your insurance company when you make the claim.  Also, don’t throw anything away before checking with your insurance company.

I hope this helps answer some of your questions.  If you aren’t sure what your policy covers, call your agent and ask for specifics.