I DON’T WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU THIS SUMMER: DEBRIS REMOVAL HEADACHES By Kevin C. Amrhein, CIC
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among those who will contact me for assistance after it’s too late.
It’s July in America. While most are planning for fireworks and vacays, yours truly is prepping for my own annual summer tradition: responding to inquiries regarding inadequate coverage for debris removal expense resulting from a storm.
DEBRIS THAT IS NOT A TREE
In my years as a consultant, I can think of no property coverage issue that has confused agents/ insureds at claim time more often than debris removal expense. If cover is sufficient, the claimant is none the wiser. If not, the claimant will demand answers. The purpose of this article is to help you dodge the latter and to ensure you’re not
Roof tile, siding, lumber, wallboard, furniture, and other storm-soaked stuff is everywhere. If your insured is lucky, whatever debris there is will be hand-draggable to the curb and picked up by local authorities for free. If your insured is unlucky (like mine always were), he’ll have to find a service. From an expense standpoint, labor + grapple truck +
This article focuses on the ISO HO-3 policy.
JULY 2021
multiple loads + dump fees = “holy %^&*!” It’s impossible to determine the expense ahead of time, and it absolutely will be higher than your insured expects. Always. The unendorsed policy will respond to the removal expense via Additional Coverage 1. Debris Removal(a.) based on the following triggers: 1. The debris is covered property, and 2. Is created by a Peril Insured Against. If triggered, the policy provides coverage for the cost to remove debris from the premises up to the limit of insurance applicable to
