In insurance company jargon, an “act of God” is a catastrophe that no one could possibly have foreseen, planned for, or even prevented. It is usually invoked as a reason not to pay a damage or injury claim. However, what your insurance company calls an act of God may well fall under the terms of your policy. This means that you'll have to hire an aggressive lawyer to fight for the payout that you are legally and ethically entitled to.
Some Acts of God Are More Unpredictable Than Others
When you see the act of God clause in your insurance policy, you can be forgiven for assuming that this applies to extremely unlikely events that no insurer in its right mind would agree to cover. A hundred-foot tidal wave, a 9.0-scale earthquake (in an area that has never seen as much as a temblor) and a collision with a black hole would certainly qualify as acts of God. So you would be surprised how often insurers assign act of God status to:
- Category 1 or category 2 hurricanes
- Severe flooding, if you live along a river or shoreline
- Damage resulting from a lightning or hail storm
- Sudden gusts of wind that topple power lines
- Any kind of “unusual” weather event, even if storm damage is covered in your policy
What makes “act of God” such a convenient phrase for insurance companies is that it can be used to describe any accident for which you were not directly responsible. If you drive drunk and crash into a telephone poll, you certainly cannot ascribe your injuries to an act of God. If, however, you have collision insurance, and a crevasse opens up in the road during an earthquake and swallows your car whole, you may have a hard time getting a payout from your insurer!
Has Your Insurer Invoked an Act of God to Deny Your Claim?
Were you injured, or was your property damaged in a weather event that you feel should be covered by your insurance policy? If your carrier insists on describing it as an act of God, then you need to hire an experienced lawyer who can press your claim. Questions? Contact the act of God insurance claim lawyers at the Voss Law Firm (888-614-7730) for a free consultation today.
