Things You Never Knew Insurance Covered

Most of us don't think about home and auto insurance for any other purpose than to protect valuable property. But it can help you in ways you may have never even considered.

Liability
Being sued is apart of American life. In America, 1 out of 10 people have a chance of being sued each year and about a third of Americans will be sued at some point of time in their life. Your home insurance policy can provide you with legal help if someone is injured at your home, your child damages someone's property or your pet bites someone. There are limits to dog bite protections because some home insurance companies will not insure certain breeds of dogs, so be sure to check if you are covered for this benefit.

Pet Injuries
Covering your pet during an auto accident is becoming more and more prevalent these days. Some auto insurance companies provide free coverage for pets during auto accidents, paying for veterinary bills stemming from the accident, as long as you have comprehensive coverage. This provision varies and some cap pet benefits at a few hundred dollars.

Terrorism
Even though all insurance types exclude acts of war from coverage, terrorism is not considered an act of war. However certain types of terrorist attacks are excluded from coverage. These include the use of biological or nuclear-based terrorist attacks.

Lost Luggage
When you travel away from home and your personal possessions are lost or stolen they may be covered under your home insurance policy. This certainly applies to lost luggage or stolen luggage, but not to items purchased during your trip.

Your Child's Dorm Room
The theft policy extends to your child living on a university or college campus. It does not, however, extend to private residences like off campus apartments. Purchase renters insurance for your child if they live off campus.

Stolen Gifts
Stolen gift claims tend to spike around Christmas time as unscrupulous individuals try to run off with your valuable purchases. Thankfully, you can recoup these losses with your home insurance policy, but your claim will run more smoothly if you have receipts for all items you purchased.

Drunk Party Guests
In some states there are social host liability laws that could place you at partial blame if a guest leaves your party drunk and injures or causes an accident to someone else. Your liability coverage under home insurance can help if you are sued or a claim is filed.

Roadside Problems
Lock your keys in the car? Got a flat tire? Battery gone dead? Some insurance companies offer roadside assistance to policyholders at a nominal charge. Find out if your auto insurance company has a roadside assistance program.

Grave Markers
If a grave marker has been damaged accidently or intentionally due to vandalism you may have coverage for this. Some home insurance companies provide grave marker coverage to a certain limit, but exclude some circumstances such as earthquakes and hurricanes.

Your Yard
Home insurance will cover damage to lawn, shrubs and trees resulting from vandalism, fire, airplane crashes and other disasters, but there are almost always specific limits to this coverage.

Take a close look at the fine print of your policies to be sure you are getting the most out of your insurance.