Wednesday, October 31, 2012

REAL LIFE CLAIMS
Learning from Losses



Overloaded electrical sockets cause fire.

Location:  City home

Cause of loss:  Electrical fire

Cost of loss:  $150,000 in damage

Details of loss:  The insureds were sleeping when their smoke detector went off.  Their home was on fire, so they fled and called 911.  The home sustained extensive fire and smoke damage.  The cause of the fire was an overloaded electrical socket in the basement, which overheated or shorted out and ignited belongings that were stacked near the plug

Lessons learned:  Do not overload electrical sockets and ensure that all electrical work is done by a qualified electrician or, at a minimum, inspected by the electrical authority.  Do not pile combustible belongings close to electrical sockets.  make sure your home is equipped with smoke detectors that are operational and test them regularly.

Source: SGI's the Broker, Fall 2012

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