Named Perils Insurance Policy

A home insurance policy that explicitly provides coverage for losses that are incurred and events that are listed on the policy

What is the Named Perils Insurance Policy?

The Named Perils Insurance Policy is a home insurance policy that explicitly provides coverage for losses incurred or events listed on the policy. The insurance policy comes in two forms – basic and broad. Named perils are the opposite form of open perils, which will provide coverage for all losses, except what’s already been listed on the insurance policy.

Named Perils Insurance Policy

Summary

  • The named perils insurance policy is a home insurance policy that explicitly provides coverage for losses that are incurred and events that are listed on the policy.
  • The insurance policy comes in two forms – basic and broad. It doesn’t provide insurance for all kinds of property.
  • Homeowners need to understand the named perils insurance policy because they must acknowledge and understand the different forms and decide which form is best given their individual circumstances.

Basic Form and Broad Form

The named perils insurance policy is part of the insuring agreement of the property and is between a homeowner and the insurer. It can be chosen in its basic or broad form.

1. Basic form

The basic form of the policy will include coverage for the following unexpected situations that can cause harmful effects on your home – fire, windstorm, hail, lightning, explosions, smoke, collision, vandalism, and rioting. The policy can be chosen if homeowners seek out a less expensive option or if they think those are the only situations they will need coverage for.

2.  Broad form

The broad form of the named perils insurance policy includes an additional six areas of coverage on top of the basic form. Since there are 15 areas of coverage, it includes most of the more common forms of property damage. The six additional areas include burglary, fallen objects, ice or snow, frozen plumbing, accidental water damage, and electricity.

If neither of the above home insurance coverage options suffices for the policyholder, their other option as a homeowner will be the all-risk coverage, otherwise known as an open perils policy. The policy will provide even more coverage for the policyholder, as it is based on a form of coverage that includes all losses unless specifically excluded from the list. The exclusions could include situations such as earthquakes, floods, or war. Homeowners need to note that although it is labeled as all-risk coverage, it will not necessarily cover all risks.

Homeowners must be advised that not all kinds of property can be included in such home insurance policies, e.g., aircraft or vehicles. The exclusions can apply for several reasons, including that there may be other kinds of coverage offered for the excluded items. To explain further, the exclusions are put in place to avoid duplication of coverage and ensure that consumers attain the best kind of insurance for certain situations.

Importance of the Named Perils Insurance Policy

Homeowners need to understand the named perils insurance policy because they must acknowledge and understand the different forms and decide which form is best given their individual circumstances. Their situation can vary depending on factors, such as their place of residence or their financial means.

It is also important to understand the exclusions of the policy so that the insured can make sure to acquire the proper insurance for their other properties and objects. Overall, the policy is important to society and all homeowners because of the coverage it provides for certain situations.

Practical Example

As a new homeowner, you decide to look into the named perils insurance policy. Given your financial means and the fact that the location of your new home does not often deal with the scenarios included in the broad form, such as ice, snow, or water damage, you decide to purchase the basic form of the named perils insurance policy. The following are three possible scenarios that can take place:

  • Vandalism takes place on the outside of your home. Thankfully, vandalism falls under the category of basic form coverage, and you can use your named perils homeowner insurance to fix the vandalism.
  • A burglary takes place inside your home while you’re away. Unfortunately, since you’ve chosen the basic form, your named perils insurance will not cover the replacement of what was stolen in your home. If you had chosen the broad form of coverage, it would have been covered under your named perils insurance.
  • An earthquake takes place near your home. Unfortunately, with the damages to your home, the named perils insurance policy would not cover the negative effects the earthquake had on your home.

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