What Is a Peril?
A peril is an event that causes damage to your insured property.
Insurance policies may cover a loss on an open-perils or named-perils basis.
An insurance policy with named perils coverage will only cover losses caused by perils specifically named in the policy.
Commonly covered perils in a homeowners insurance policy include:
- Fire or lightning
- Windstorm or hail
- Explosion
- Riot or civil commotion
- Aircraft
- Vehicles
- Smoke
- Vandalism or malicious mischief
- Theft
- Falling objects
- Weight of ice, snow, or sleet
- Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam
- Sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking, or bulging of pipes
An insurance policy with open perils coverage will pay for any damage to the insured property unless the policy specifically excludes the cause of loss.
Perils like floods, neglect, earth movement, and war are specifically excluded from homeowners insurance policies.
Review your insurance policy to see what perils it does or does not cover.