Hudgens Reminds Georgians To Check Homeowners’ Policies Regarding Damage from Cold Temps

As colder temperatures set in over the coming days, Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said Georgians should remember that if their homes are damaged by extreme cold, they may get financial relief through their homeowners policies.

Hudgens said that depending on the source of the property damage, someone may or may not be covered.

He said there are a number of things that a homeowner’s policy typically covers.

Those include repairing damage to internal plumbing caused by freezing, as well as for damage to carpeting, furniture, and other belongings caused by your own pipes freezing.

However, Hudgens said damage from water entering someone’s home from an outside source, such as a broken water main, may not be covered.

According to Hudgens, if someone lives in an apartment or condominium, and water from an upstairs neighbor’s pipes damages the property, that person will be covered under your own renters or condo owners policy.

If someone does not have such coverage, the neighbor’s liability policy may pay for the damage, but only if they can prove the neighbor was negligent.

Also, Hudgens said damage to frozen pipes on the property but not in the home, such as in the yard, are not covered by standard homeowners insurance.

Commissioner Hudgens is also warning that cold temperatures sometimes result in dangerous fires as a result of carelessness with home heating devices.

For example, if someone uses space heaters or wood stoves in cold weather, he said they need to remember to keep them away from combustibles like curtains and bedding.

Also, he said that if someone uses a kerosene heater, make sure it has an automatic switch that shuts it off if it tips over.

He also reminded people never to burn trash or cardboard in a fireplace, make sure the damper in the chimney is open before starting a fire, keep matches and lighters away from children, do not let children play around space heaters, the fireplace, or with electric blankets, make sure all fuel-burning appliances and fireplaces are properly vented, and install an adequate number of smoke alarms in the home.