Losses and Lessons: When the roof caves in, we’ve got you covered

Accidents happen. That’s why we work to ensure that our clients’ prized vessels are properly covered should disaster strike.

Every property and casualty insurer’s biggest fear is the weather. For all of the countless intoxicated operators, submerged logs and unmarked sandbars out there on the water, it’s tornados and hurricanes that determine whether or not an insurance company has a good year or a bad one. Last year came and went without any of the catastrophic storms we saw in 2012, but then 2014 rolled in and our nation found itself in a deep freeze. That proved devastating for several of our policyholders, whose boats suffered damage when the weight of the snow and ice on their roofs caused their storage facilities to collapse.

Many of our readers are familiar with the higher-profile events that took place this winter, but plenty of similar incidents never made the news. Hagerty Marine has fielded roof-collapse claims from across the Midwest, East Coast and Canada. While we don’t need to tell you the importance of keeping your property free of snow and ice accumulation, it’s easy to overlook if your boat is stored at a remote location. In fact, commercial storage buildings may be more susceptible to collapse due to the lightweight metal roofs often used in their construction.

In the event that your boat is damaged by a building collapse, rest assured that with a Hagerty policy you’re covered. Even if your classic is in a commercial storage facility, there is no need to recover repair costs on your own. We have your back.

While we hope you never have to experience this type of freak occurrence, your Hagerty Marine policy protects you against all types of weather losses. In fact, the only weather-related loss excluded in a Hagerty policy is direct loss from ice or freezing. So make sure your boat is properly winterized by a marine professional.