Last week, Central Ohio was hit with storms and an overloaded power grid resulting from rising temperatures. Hundreds of thousands were left without power for several days in record-breaking heat and humidity. Thankfully, the local power outages were mostly resolved within a few days. While that was a great relief to those who sweltered in the heat last week, it was a couple of days too late for their food provisions that likely spoiled. Even if those affected kept their refrigerator and freezer doors shut at all times, the prolonged power outage probably means those affected will need to dispose of their (previously) refrigerated and frozen food.
Does your insurance policy cover spoiled food?
If you were one of those with a newly emptied refrigerator due to this electric power outage, checking your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy for food spoilage coverage is worthwhile. Many insurance policies contain coverage for such an event. It could be $500 or $1,000 for food spoilage, and it may not have a deductible for such a loss. Your insurance policy can protect for events that do not fall into the category of a “catastrophe.” In the insurance context, catastrophes include fire, tornado, or water damage from a broken appliance. Insurance companies provide coverage for events that do not rise to the level of catastrophes to help policyholders in various situations, including a power outage. This coverage may be built into your policy to give you an extra benefit!
So, take a moment to review your policy, particularly if you have recently suffered food spoilage due to power outages. Even if you were lucky to avoid such losses, it is prudent to review your policy to determine whether you may be covered if future losses occur. If you do have food spoilage coverage, make a call to your insurance agent. In most cases, your agent can handle the claim without waiting for an insurance company adjuster to contact you. And please do not hesitate to contact us if you want an attorney to review your policy.
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