3. DEFINITION
Inevitable, unpredictable,
and unreasonably severe
event caused by natural
forces without any human
interference, and over
which an insured
party has no control, such
as an earthquake, flood,
hurricane, lightning,
snowstorm. Acts of God
are insurable
accidents and valid excuse
s for non performance of
a contract. It is also
called act of nature.
4. EARTHQUAKE
An earthquake is a
sudden, rapid
shaking of the Earth
caused by the
release of energy
stored in rocks
5. FLOOD
An overflowing of a
large amount of
water beyond its
normal confines,
especially over what
is normally dry
land.
6. HURRICANE
A hurricane is a
tropical storm with
winds that have
reached a constant
speed of 74 miles
per hour or more.
7. LIGHTNING
A discharge of
atmospheric
electricity,
accompanied by a
vivid flash of light,
commonly from one
cloud to another,
sometimes from a
cloud to the earth.
8. SNOWSTROM
A storm with
widespread snowfall
accompanied by
strong winds
9. WHAT ARE 'ACTS OF GOD'
CLAUSES IN INSURANCE
Insurance POLICIES?
contracts
often exclude acts of
God from the list of
insurable occurrences
as a means to waive
their obligations for
damage caused by the
onset of permanent
illness, lightning,
hurricanes, floods or
earthquakes; all
examples of acts of
God.
10. WHAT ARE 'ACTS OF GOD'
CLAUSES IN INSURANCE
"Circumstances POLICIES?
which
no human foresight
can provide against,
and of which human
prudence is not
bound to recognize
the possibility, and
which when they do
occur, therefore, are
calamities that do not
involve the obligation
of paying for the
consequences that
may result from
them."
11. WHAT ARE 'ACTS OF GOD'
CLAUSES IN INSURANCE
POLICIES?
Traditionally, homeowner’s
insurance policies have
contained an exclusion
clause for damages caused
by “acts of God”, a catch-all
term that covers any sort of
act of nature that cannot be
controlled, like earthquakes
or hurricanes. “Acts of God”
also typically include
damages as a result of war,
i.e. a nuclear war. In recent
years, however, there has
been a trend toward the
removal of the “acts of God”
exclusion clause in many
homeowners’ insurance
policies, at least with respect
to some such events.
12. WHAT ARE 'ACTS OF GOD'
CLAUSES IN INSURANCE
In
POLICIES?
any case, it is
essential when
purchasing any
homeowner’s
insurance policy that
you educate yourself
regarding the
damages caused by
“acts of God” that
your policy will – or
will not – cover, as
well as whether you
need to purchase
additional insurance
coverage.
13. WHAT ARE 'ACTS OF GOD'
CLAUSES IN INSURANCE
Many damages toPOLICIES?
homes
are caused by acts of
nature, such as high
winds, tornadoes, hail,
storms, and ice, which
may or may not be
classified as “acts of
God”, depending on the
terms of your
homeowner’s insurance
policy. If your home
suffers damages as a
result of an “act of
God”, you should
immediately contact
your homeowner’s
insurance company in
order to determine
whether the damages
will be covered.
14. WHAT ARE 'ACTS OF GOD'
CLAUSES IN INSURANCE
POLICIES?
There are some specific
types of damages that
your homeowner’s
insurance policy might not
cover, even if they result
from an “act of God” for
which your policy
generally provides
coverage. For instance, if
there is a major ice storm
that causes damage to
your roof, your
homeowner’s insurance
policy is likely to provide
you with coverage for the
damages to your roof.
15. WHAT ARE 'ACTS OF GOD'
CLAUSES IN INSURANCE
However, there
POLICIES?
are some
property damages that you also
may have suffered as a result
of the ice storm that your
homeowner’s insurance policy
may not cover. For instance,
some homeowner’s insurance
policies will not provide
coverage for the costs of
spoiled food resulting from an
extended power outage caused
by an ice storm, while other
homeowner’s policies will
cover such costs. Therefore,
you must read your
homeowner’s insurance policy
carefully, and be aware of such
exclusions in coverage.
16. WHAT ARE 'ACTS OF GOD'
CLAUSES IN INSURANCE
POLICIES?
Furthermore, common “acts of
God”, such as flooding and
earthquake damage, are
generally still excluded from
coverage by most homeowner’s
insurance policies. Your only
option for coverage for damages
caused by these “acts of God” is
to purchase an add-on policy,
called a “rider”, that provides
you with additional coverage in
the event that your home receives
damages from an excluded “act
of God”. Particularly if you live
in a flood-prone area, you must
assess the likelihood and/or risk
of damages that might occur to
your home as a result of flooding
with the costs of maintaining
additional flood insurance
coverage.
.......cont.........................
17. WHAT ARE 'ACTS OF GOD'
CLAUSES IN INSURANCE
If your
POLICIES?
home, or
homes in your area,
have sustained flood
damages in the
past, it is likely to
be worth the costs
of purchasing a
flood insurance
rider. If you live in
a high-risk area in
terms of flooding,
you may be able to
purchase flood
insurance policy.
18. A COMMON MYTH......
"There are people who
believe that every
happening in the
world is dictated by
the Supreme Being
and that therefore
what is, is, and could
not ever have been
otherwise. There are
sects so imbued with
this concept ... that
their members refuse
even to summon a
doctor when ill."