It seems there are more TV series about looking for Bigfoot than actual Bigfoots (Bigfeet???) that exist (I’m not saying there aren’t any…just fewer than the number of TV shows about them, evidenced by the fact that they never can find one).
But what if you found Bigfoot…in your backyard? Many people have seen deer or raccoons or even coyotes on their property. If you read your insurance policy closely, you would know sometimes damage by these animals is covered, while at other times it isn’t.
But what if Bigfoot damaged your home? Would the damage be covered or is it excluded? Let’s find out!
Save Me Time!
- Insurance policies don’t have language to address Bigfoot attacks.
- Given wild animal damage is usually covered, there is a good chance your insurer will decide in your favor and pay for damage caused by Bigfoot.
The Rest of the Story
Here’s the scenario:
Bigfoot emerges out of the woods and into your backyard. It knocks over a tree in its path and runs through your fence. It smells the food in your home and smashes its way through the siding (Bigfoots don’t know how to use doors, apparently).
While looking for food, it knocks over a table, a lamp, and a vase and hits its head on the ceiling fan knocking it loose. Eventually, it finds the refrigerator, but not knowing how to use it, lifts it up and smashes it to the floor. The door pops open and Bigfoot proceeds to gorge.
When it is full, Bigfoot returns to the woods leaving your refrigerator contents melting on the floor and the water line snapped and leaking water.
You wake up to see the damage and check your security camera. You are shocked to see Bigfoot!
The good news – you have proof Bigfoot is real and you’ll be famous.
The bad news – you have a big mess that insurance may or may not pay for.
Does Insurance Pay For Bigfoot?
Before you call TMZ or post your Bigfoot video on YouTube, you may want to check your insurance policy before the paparazzi arrive.
Does insurance pay if Bigfoot damages your home? Nobody knows. Much like with aliens, it’s never been addressed before.
The good news is there is no language explicitly saying Bigfoot damage is not covered. That definitely helps.
There are exclusions around some types of animals, but these are usually for smaller animals like raccoons or bats. Damage caused by wildlife like deer or even bears usually is covered.
However, is Bigfoot a wild animal? Or something else? If it’s an animal or some type of human, either way you should be covered.
But if it’s a unique mythical creature, well, then we are in uncharted territory. Hopefully, Bigfoot left some hair behind which can be used for DNA testing to get some more information.
The Verdict
Based on what we know, it is likely most, if not all, of the Bigfoot damage would be paid for by insurance. It would most likely be treated like a wild animal is my best guess.
However, we should review the story again to see if any of the damage would be excluded.
The first thing we noted was Bigfoot knocked over a tree. Would insurance pay for that tree? That depends on where it fell. If the tree didn’t hit anything but the ground, then there is no insurance claim. If it landed on any of your property, then insurance would pay for repairs though you may be responsible for some of the costs for tree removal.
Next, Bigfoot ran through the fence. That would definitely be a covered claim under your Other Structures coverage.
Then, Bigfoot couldn’t find the door and smashed through the side of your home. Any damage to your home itself is covered unless it is caused by an excluded event. Since we determined Bigfoot damage is unlikely to be excluded, then your home’s siding repairs will be fully covered.
What about the damage inside the house? That would all be covered under the contents coverage. So your table, ceiling fan, etc. would all be replaced. However, how much you get paid will depend on the language in your policy.
If you have replacement value for your contents, then all the damage will be replaced with brand new items. However, if you instead had actual cash value, you will only be paid enough to buy replacements worth essentially the used value of your broken possessions.
Finally, we have your refrigerator. The damage to your fridge, including the resulting water damage, will all be covered by your insurance. While water coverage can be confusing, this is a clear case of water damage that would be covered as it is clearly “sudden and accidental” since nobody expects Bigfoots to show up in their kitchen.
Final Considerations
So, as you can see, most of the Bigfoot damage would be covered. There are a few loose ends we should address before we wrap.
First, you have to pay your deductible. Even though you have multiple types of damage, you only pay the deductible once. Beyond that, you may have some costs for tree removal.
If you have ACV for your contents, you may be disappointed with the payout and need to reach into your own pocket to buy adequate replacements for your damaged items.
We should also mention your policy limits. Typically, your coverage for other structures is 10% of your home’s insured value and your contents would be set at 50%.
Thus, on a $400,000 home, you would have $40,000 of coverage for the fence damage and $200,000 for the damaged items. The repairs to the siding and any damage to the floors or walls from the water leak would have up to the full $400,000 limit.
These should be more than adequate, even if the water damage from the refrigerator was extensive. However, under a scenario where Bigfoot goes on a bigger rampage in your home, there is a chance you could exhaust your limits.
So that’s all you need to know about what happens if Bigfoot shows up in your kitchen! If you have any other questions about Bigfoot related scenarios, feel free to ask us or suggest other improbable situations you’d like us to address.
