Neighbor’s tree fell on your Kansas house? Whose insurance covers what

If a neighbor’s tree crashes onto your house during a Kansas storm, you might assume their insurance will foot the bill. In most cases, that’s not how it works.

FULL STORY: Who is responsible if neighbor’s tree falls on your home in Kansas? What to know

Here are key takeaways:

• The Kansas Department of Insurance says damages from a fallen tree or branch are generally covered by the insurance policy on the damaged property, no matter who owned the tree.
• Major insurers including Allstate, Farmers Insurance, Geico, Progressive and State Farm say tree damage to homes and structures is typically handled by the affected property owner’s homeowners insurance, meaning you’d usually only owe your deductible.
• Farmers Insurance says you might have a case that a neighbor is liable if their tree was dead and rotting, but it’s very difficult to prove and requires documented evidence you asked them to remove it beforehand.
• Allstate notes that if your own tree was rotting and ready to fall before a storm, your homeowners policy likely will not cover the resulting damage to your house.
• If you hit problems with a claim, the Insurance Department’s Consumer Assistance Division can be reached at 785-296-3071, by email at kdoi.complaints@ks.gov or online at insurance.kansas.gov.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.