December 29, 2010
By: Jana Bell
As a winter chill sets in across much of the country, officials in Maine are advising residents to check their home insurance coverage to make sure that they will be covered in the event of a serious incident.
State insurance superintendent Mila Kofman says that residents should know that while insurance generally covers damage from falling trees, wind or frozen pipes, there are also many things that standard policies don't cover. Among those damages include food damage, water damage from backed-up drains, or the removal of trees that don't damage the home.
"This is the time of year to make sure your home or apartment is protected from storms and other potential winter hazards," said Kofman. "It can be heart-breaking to learn too late that your homeowners or renter policy doesn't cover a particular loss."
Kofman added that some insurance companies offer special endorsements that can cover damages that extend beyond traditional policies.
Residents are also urged to keep a careful inventory of the belongings in their home. Officials with a Kansas City home inventory firm said that not having a careful record of what property they had can affect the value of homeowners' claims.
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- Thousands of St. Louis insurance claims cite recent hail damage May 22, 2012
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