Fire and Lightning
Fire is one of the most serious causes of loss, but not every fire cause loss. A gas fire in a kitchen oven, an oil fire in a furnace, and a wood fire in a fireplace serve a specific purpose and cause no loss-unless they blaze out of control. These are called a friendly fire that stays in its intended place. A hostile fire on the contrary is a fire that leaves its intended policy.
Some fires ensue from another peril. Lightning might strike a house and set it on fire. It is standard practice that policies covering fire also cover loss caused by lightning.
These policies also include damage resulting from those conditions accompanying the fire (such as heat and smoke) and those events that can be linked to the fire in an unbroken chain of causation (such as collapse resulting from the fire or water damage caused by fire fighters).
When these conditions occur because of a fire, the fire is considered the proximate cause of the entire loss. The proximate cause of a loss is the event that sets in motion an uninterrupted chain of events contributing to the loss.
Windstorm
Windstorm includes hurricanes and tornadoes. Less severe winds can also cause damage.
Water damage due to flood, waves, or spray sometimes accompanies a windstorm. Many insurance policies cover windstorm damage but not water damage, unless wind causes an opening to the structure through which water enters.
Hail
Hail consists of ice particles created by freezing atmosphere conditions. Hailstones the size of marbles, golf balls, or baseballs can cause substantial damages to the insured property. Light hail can cause damage to standing grain, blossoms on fruit trees.
Aircraft
Aircraft damage occurs when all or part of an airplane or satellite strikes property on the ground.
Vehicle Damage
Vehicle Damage is a damage done by a motor vehicle to some other kind of property.
Riot and Civil Commotion
Both terms approximately refer to the same kind of unruly mob behavior.
Explosion
An explosion is a violent expansion or bursting accompanied by noise. Explosions include combustion explosions resulting from the ignition of gases, dust, or other explosive materials, which are usually followed by fire, bursting of pressurized objects, etc.,
Smoke
The sudden or accidental release of large amounts of smoke can result in considerable damage. When the smoke is resultant cause of a fire, fire is usually considered as a proximate cause. All insurance policies covering fire damage also covers smoke.
However, the sudden malfunction of an oil-burning furnace might result in the discharge of clouds of grimy, sooty smoke, which is usually excluded from the scope of insurance.
Vandalism
Vandalism is willful and malicious damage to or destruction of property. These losses are not accidental; they are intentionally caused, usually by an unknown person or persons.
Sprinkler Leakage
Sprinkler leakage is the accidental leakage or discharge of water or other substance from an automatic sprinkler system.
Sinkhole Collapse and Mine Subsidence
Sinkhole collapse is a cause of loss involving damage by the sudden sinking or collapse of land into underground empty spaces created by the action of water or limestone or dolomite.
Mine subsidence is a cause of loss involving the sinking of ground surface when underground open spaces, resulting from the extraction of coal or other minerals, are gradually filled in by rock and earth from above.
Volcanic Action
Volcanic Action is a cause of loss by lava flow, ash, dust, particulate matter, airborne volcanic blast, or airborne shock waves resulting from a volcanic eruption.
Many property insurance policies used to specifically exclude losses caused by volcanic eruption. However, since there were no volcanoes considered active in the continental
Property Loss Exposures
