A knife-wielding maniac trashed my house. Am I covered?
Supernatural maniacs, zombies and ghouls cause terror and panic. They also leave behind serious property damage.
It is the call all claims professionals dread: A neighbor boy turns out to be a deranged, supernatural maniac and goes berserk in a policyholder’s home with butcher knives, hatchets and other implements of destruction, leaving behind extensive damage.
If your policyholder finds themselves on the business end of a supernatural-based rampage as described above, the one thing they won’t have to worry about is damage to their home and property, according to Kara McGinley, licensed property and casualty insurance expert at Policygenius.
“That’s because home insurance covers vandalism and malicious mischief, so your policy may pay for repairs to your home, fence, couch and pretty much whatever else you own that got axed,” McGinley tells PropertyCasualty360.com. “Home insurance also covers theft, so if the ax-wielding maniac decides your watch looks great on their ax-wielding wrist, home insurance can pay to replace your belongings up to your policy’s coverage limits.”
Now if a babysitter is in the home and is injured while trying to escape, the matter can become more complicated.
Assuming the babysitter is a resident employee and assuming the babysitter was running out of the house to creepy barn also on the property, for example, it would likely be covered, explains Bill Martin, president and CEO of Plymouth Rock Home Assurance.
“It would be limited to the medical payments to others provision. This would include treating any physical and mental injury associated with the scary maniac,” he adds.
Coverage for the home that bleeds
Another common horror theme that presents interesting insurance questions involves a property built on an ancient burial ground, which causes blood to pour down the walls. Of course, this leaves behind extensive “water damage.” How would a standard home policy respond?
“Unfortunately, evil spirits and blood pouring down the walls are not named perils, and probably wouldn’t be covered,” Marin says.
However, he says all risks policies would provide coverage, unless the policy specifically excludes instances of blood pouring down the walls.
He adds the only potential complication in this scenario is if the blood is considered a pollutant, which could lead to a denied claim.
“No matter the case, we expect policyholders to do some damage mitigation, so it would be a good time to hire a priest to do an exorcism or bio-remediation company to make sure that the damage doesn’t get worse,” he says.
Of course, an insurer would also need to consider blood water, McGinley points out.
“In order to be covered, you’ll need to prove the water damage happened suddenly, accidentally and internally,” McGinley says. “Did the evil spirit possess the pipes in your house? Did those pipes burst and damage your home? Then you likely would be covered.”
Further, if the blood backs up from a “possessed drain or sump pump,” instead of pouring from the ceiling, the standard home insurance policy likely wouldn’t provide coverage, according to McGinley.
“Home insurance also doesn’t cover wear and tear or damage that occurs over time,” McGinly says. “If the evil spirit knows anything about insurance, they’ll possess the blood to leak through a hole in your roof gradually over time, and leave you to foot the repair bill yourself. A truly evil move.”
The real risks seen at Halloween
While it is unlikely you’ll see any claims involving ax murders or evil spirits this Halloween, the holiday does see more thefts, vandalisms and mysterious disappearances compared to the average day, according to research from Travelers Insurance.
According to Plymouth’s Martin, one of the most common real risks seen at Halloween are fires from jack-o-lanterns, decorative candles and outdoor parties with bonfires.
There is also heightened potential for accidents among policyholders who invite trick-or-treaters and partygoers onto their property, he adds.
“There are a couple of communities that have block parties for Halloween and they rope off the yards so people don’t come on the property,” Martin says. “If someone slips and falls on your stairway, you are liable. If you have a hole in your front yard and they fall in it, you are liable.”
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