My question involves insurance law for the state of: Wisconsin
I recently had a wall cabinet filled with books fall off the wall in my home office. It fell on my computer which was sitting on a counter below the cabinet. The cabinet was built and installed by me. I am not a contractor but an avid do-it-yourselfer. I've made most of the cabinets and millwork in my home. It was properly installed approx a year ago. It was attached to studs inside the wall.
The cabinet failed leaving the back attached to the wall. The weight of the books was apparently too much for a standard cabinet to support. It was unforseen. The room was unoccupied when the cabinet fell. There was no underlying maintenance problem which caused this to occur. It just failed suddenly.
The insurance adjuster tells me the computer is not covered. Only the cabinet, floor and wall repairs are covered (less the deductible) because they constitute the structure of my home. She tells me the contents (i.e. the computer) are not covered in this circumstance. I think it should be covered as a 'sudden and accidental' event similar to a pipe bursting (which would cover the computer, BTW). She said falling objects are defined as things that fall on the home, not inside the home. She told me if a chandelier fell suddenly and spontaneously from the ceiling and crashed onto my dining room table, the light fixture and ceiling would be covered but not the table or anything on it.
I understand the specific language of the policy will determine what is covered and what is not. There is language in the policy which would indicate the computer should be covered as well as not covered. My insurance agent has appealed on my behalf because he agrees with me. The claims department has told him to drop it. This falls into a grey area and was a freak occurrence which caused this.
What can I do?
I recently had a wall cabinet filled with books fall off the wall in my home office. It fell on my computer which was sitting on a counter below the cabinet. The cabinet was built and installed by me. I am not a contractor but an avid do-it-yourselfer. I've made most of the cabinets and millwork in my home. It was properly installed approx a year ago. It was attached to studs inside the wall.
The cabinet failed leaving the back attached to the wall. The weight of the books was apparently too much for a standard cabinet to support. It was unforseen. The room was unoccupied when the cabinet fell. There was no underlying maintenance problem which caused this to occur. It just failed suddenly.
The insurance adjuster tells me the computer is not covered. Only the cabinet, floor and wall repairs are covered (less the deductible) because they constitute the structure of my home. She tells me the contents (i.e. the computer) are not covered in this circumstance. I think it should be covered as a 'sudden and accidental' event similar to a pipe bursting (which would cover the computer, BTW). She said falling objects are defined as things that fall on the home, not inside the home. She told me if a chandelier fell suddenly and spontaneously from the ceiling and crashed onto my dining room table, the light fixture and ceiling would be covered but not the table or anything on it.
I understand the specific language of the policy will determine what is covered and what is not. There is language in the policy which would indicate the computer should be covered as well as not covered. My insurance agent has appealed on my behalf because he agrees with me. The claims department has told him to drop it. This falls into a grey area and was a freak occurrence which caused this.
What can I do?
Home Insurance: Cabinet Falling Off the Wall
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