Q. We own a home that was built in 1964. Last Saturday our family room ceiling collapsed. There does not appear to be any moisture. The insurance company is telling us it’s normal wear and tear, the insulation was too heavy and thus the damage is not covered. There are no cracks in the ceiling, no sagging and our home is well maintained. Any thoughts on the cause? Our roof was replaced in May of 2010.
A. While I have not seen your loss in person, I suspect that the insurance company is probably incorrect on their denial. I’ll assume you have standard homeowners all risk or open perils policy. Look to see if you have collapse coverage in the policy. Even if it is not specifically stated as collapse, you should have coverage for the resulting damages. Call or write the claim manager or vice president of claims and file a complaint. Wear and tear is one thing but when a ceiling collapses, that is totally another issue that could potentially meet the test of a covered insurance loss since the collapse was sudden and accidental and you certainly did not intend for the ceiling to collapse. Good luck
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