House Insurance California

Insurers brace for claims after winds batter Sacramento area

The blustery winds that blew through Sacramento and throughout California this week tore off tree limbs, felled fences and crumpled some residential roofs.

That's left many homeowners – and their insurers – outdoors assessing the wind-whipped damages.

"It's one of the worst we've seen in a long time, particularly in Southern California," said Tully Lehman, spokesman for the Walnut Creek-based Insurance Information Network of California, which represents about 60 percent of California's insurers.

Lehman said the industry has received thousands of claims statewide. He expects that number to rise because the strong winds were widespread from Oregon to the Mexico border.

Sacramento's winds weren't as high as those down south, but they were still strong enough to produce a burst of damage claims. Sean Timmons, a Farmers Insurance agent in Sacramento's Greenhaven area, said he has received just one claim so far – $1,500 for a blown-over backyard fence in Galt. He expects more damage reports to start rolling in on Monday.

"People don't always realize (they've suffered damages) until the weekend when they're doing yardwork. During the week, they come home at night and don't really see it," he said.

If your home, fences, vehicles or other property are damaged by falling limbs or trees, the first priority: "Get it covered up to protect your property from further damage," said Sheri Dickman, a State Farm employee in Sacramento. It's also a good idea to photograph the damage, in order to show your insurance company's claims adjuster.

In tree-rich communities like Sacramento, one of the most common questions to insurers following a windstorm: Who pays if my neighbor's tree hits my house or my tree damages my neighbor's home or car?

According to the Insurance Institute: "Unless negligence can be proven, the neighbor's policy covers his/her house and your policy covers your house." Generally, if a neighbor's tree topples onto your property, your insurance company covers the damages.

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Home Insurance California

Article by Smith Johny

Everyone dreams to have a house in California because that state is one of the best places to live in America. However, any lender will recommend that if a homeowner wants to purchase and protect his or her house and the assets inside, it is a necessity for that person to avail home insurance California. A homeowner must have adequate funds or savings that will be needed if ever his or her house is damaged by a natural disaster such as a hurricane or other causes like a fire.

Additionally, any home that is bought by a person whether it is brand new or fairly old would most likely require an insurance policy from home insurance California although the state itself does not obligate a homeowner to have one. However, one should seriously consider the benefits of this insurance because it will cover property damage caused by weather elements like the wind, hail, fire, and man-made factors such as smoke and fire. Also, a volcanic eruption that may damage a house is also included in the coverage as well as crime-related incidents like vandalism and burglary. However, other disasters that are most likely to happen in other states like floods or mudslides are not included in the package.

Another thing a homeowner should consider is wildfires that occur in certain places and this will cause the prices of home insurance in California to soar making this a high-risk investment. Despite all the risks involve, this kind of insurance in California will provide a two-fold protection for any homeowner because it will secure one from any damage to his or her home and any legality that is connected to injuries that happened inside the home. It would also be advisable for a homeowner to see different quotations offered by insurance companies and get the best rates. The best companies will give reasonable discounts if a homeowner purchases coverage from them and they may even apply a discount for his or her insurance rentals.

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