What is classed as accidental damage under home insurance?

ripplyuk

I have contents insurance from LV which only includes limited accidental damage cover (for tv’s, laptops etc). I can add full accidental damage cover but I’m not sure if it’s worth it. It increases the premium significantly. I had always thought that accidental damage was things like spilling red wine on the carpet or dropping an expensive vase; things that are my own doing. I’m quite careful so I’m not worried about things like that. 

However, I’ve heard that it can include almost any one-off event eg: a washing machine flooding the house or a fish tank breaking. Could anyone help clarify what is and isn’t classed as accidental? 

Mark_d

Accidental damage is damage caused suddenly by external means which is not expected and not deliberate.
So if your washing machine develops a fault and therefore floods the house, this is not accidental damage because there is no "external means".  I suspect your flood damage would be covered under a different section of your insurance policy.
If you're doing something with your fish tank (eg. filling it with water, cleaning it, carrying it) and it breaks at that time, then this could be accidental damage.  However if no-one was around and the fish tank simply exploded, then this is not accidental damage.

MyRealNameToo

ripplyuk said:

I have contents insurance from LV which only includes limited accidental damage cover (for tv’s, laptops etc). I can add full accidental damage cover but I’m not sure if it’s worth it. It increases the premium significantly. I had always thought that accidental damage was things like spilling red wine on the carpet or dropping an expensive vase; things that are my own doing. I’m quite careful so I’m not worried about things like that. 

However, I’ve heard that it can include almost any one-off event eg: a washing machine flooding the house or a fish tank breaking. Could anyone help clarify what is and isn’t classed as accidental? 

The problem is that each insurer has their own definition and one policy may react whereas another might not to the same scenario because of the difference in wording. 

The general definition is a sudden outside force that causes unintended damage, some insurers will be more presumptive and others stand by the more traditional view that its up to you to substantiate the loss was caused by accidental damage and an unknown cause is not the same as an accidental cause. 

So take your washing machine flood... it might be covered, say a belt buckle broke the door glass and the water poured out then probably... the supply pipe washer is just old and gives up the ghost won't be as its not a sudden event but the effect of wear & tear/time. 

Some have paid out claims on more lateral thinking of AD though, winds (not high enough to be considered "storm" remove roof tiles and the hole in the roof lets in torrential rain. The roof isnt covered, it's a wear issue and not a storm but some insurers would cover the damage of the water ingress under AD.