Home insurance and fire

Zipppy

If someone leaves on a gas hob and causes fire damage, would home ins generally cover this? Have looked at policy and cant really determine if it would...(no fire yet but 'someone' keeps leaving hob on lighting during day 😐)

Johnny Sausage

Surely that would come under negligence?

peteb2

Zipppy wrote:

If someone leaves on a gas hob and causes fire damage, would home ins generally cover this? Have looked at policy and cant really determine if it would...(no fire yet but 'someone' keeps leaving hob on lighting during day ðŸ˜

Yes.

Eggs For Dinner

Accidental causes of fire is exactly what the cover is designed for

Jim2007

Zipppy wrote: »

If someone leaves on a gas hob and causes fire damage, would home ins generally cover this? Have looked at policy and cant really determine if it would...(no fire yet but 'someone' keeps leaving hob on lighting during day 😐)

It is not a yes or no answer. If it was found that the fire was caused purely by the light being left on then the insurance would refuse to pay. They would argue that you were negligent in that you knew this was a dangerous situation and you failed to take the proper precautions.

It would then be a matter for the court to decide. They work on a principle called contributory negligence, in other words they decide what percentage of the accident was your fault. They might decide you are 20% to blame and you get an 80% payout or 80% to blame and you get a 20% payout, it is difficult to say.

The other factor impacting the amount paid out is the insured amount, if you are over or under insured you will end up with less than you expected.

coylemj

Jim2007 wrote: »

It is not a yes or no answer. If it was found that the fire was caused purely by the light being left on then the insurance would refuse to pay. They would argue that you were negligent in that you knew this was a dangerous situation and you failed to take the proper precautions.

What you're saying is that if there is even a smidgin of negligence on the part of the householder, the insurance company doesn't have to pay. Which is nonsense.

Jim2007 wrote: »

It would then be a matter for the court to decide. They work on a principle called contributory negligence, in other words they decide what percentage of the accident was your fault. They might decide you are 20% to blame and you get an 80% payout or 80% to blame and you get a 20% payout, it is difficult to say.

What you're describing is a case like a traffic accident where liability is apportioned across multiple parties. That doesn't happen in the case of insurance claims for domestic accidents.

Eggs For Dinner

Negligence is not a valid reason for an insurer to refuse a fire claim, nor would they seek to do so. Most fires are as a result of a negligent act. Deliberate acts, however, are excluded but this example cannot fall in to that category

Eggs For Dinner

Jim2007 wrote: »

It is not a yes or no answer. If it was found that the fire was caused purely by the light being left on then the insurance would refuse to pay. They would argue that you were negligent in that you knew this was a dangerous situation and you failed to take the proper precautions.

It would then be a matter for the court to decide. They work on a principle called contributory negligence, in other words they decide what percentage of the accident was your fault. They might decide you are 20% to blame and you get an 80% payout or 80% to blame and you get a 20% payout, it is difficult to say.

The other factor impacting the amount paid out is the insured amount, if you are over or under insured you will end up with less than you expected.

Pleas ignore OP

Jim2007

coylemj wrote: »

What you're saying is that if there is even a smidgin of negligence on the part of the householder, the insurance company doesn't have to pay. Which is nonsense.

No that is not what I said. Read what I said carefully.

coylemj wrote: »

What you're describing is a case like a traffic accident where liability is apportioned across multiple parties. That doesn't happen in the case of insurance claims for domestic accidents.

Try making a claim for the burning down of a house and you will learn differently.

coylemj

Jim2007 wrote: »

No that is not what I said. Read what I said carefully.

No, I prefer to read post #7, that's your answer. Poster works in the business.

peteb2

Jim2007 wrote: »

Try making a claim for the burning down of a house and you will learn differently.

Have you actually made a claim for the burning down of a house ? And lets just be clear on our lingo. Burning down implies arson.

A property policy isn't negligence-based. Employers and Public Liability are. So contributory negligence applies.

Fire's are different. If a fire started 3 doors down and caused your house to burn to the ground, you would still claim under your own policy. And there would no subrogation against the owners of the house the firre carried from!

coylemj

peteb2 wrote: »

If a fire started 3 doors down and caused your house to burn to the ground, you would still claim under your own policy. And there would no subrogation against the owners of the house the firre carried from!

That is correct (Accidental Fires Act 1943) but I fail to see what relevance it has to this discussion

peteb2

coylemj wrote: »

That is correct (Accidental Fires Act 1943) but I fail to see what relevance it has to this discussion

Merely saying ain't no contributory negligence, ain't no passing the loss off! :cool:

coylemj

peteb2 wrote: »

Merely saying ain't no contributory negligence, ain't no passing the loss off!

But the general principle doesn't apply. If my adjoining neighbour adds on a shoddy extension and it falls down and damages my house, I can claim against him. But if he comes home from the pub, puts on a chip pan which catches fire and destroys his and my house, I cannot claim against him.

Though neither scenario has any relevance to the situation the OP raises which concerns an event which is confined to one household.

Zipppy

Thanks all....

Now I just have to get 'someone' to stop leaving hob on ...