Lightning strikes: what does contents insurance cover?

Where in Switzerland is most often struck by lightning, and when?

The storm season here usually begins in June and goes on into August. This is when most of the 60,000 to 80,000 lightning strikes to hit Switzerland every year happen (article in German, French and Italian only). Southern Ticino is most heavily affected. Electrical devices should be unplugged during a storm. Lightning protection systems can be installed to protect buildings.

Which insurance covers any damage?

Electrical damage can occur in electrical devices due to excess voltage or a short circuit. It is usually not covered under contents insurance, but can be taken out as an endorsement with some insurance companies. Damage due to lightning is an exception. Lightning strikes are included in the fire cover element of your contents insurance, so this is the policy that pays for loss or damage to movable property in your home. The deductible is usually 200 francs. You should report the claim to your insurance company right away. It will check to see if a storm did in fact pass over the country during the period you state. Depending on the level of damage, the insurance company may send a claims inspector round. Their job is to determine, for example, whether the TV really was damaged by a power surge following a lightning strike, or if there was some other kind of defect.

As a basic rule, insurance covers the replacement value of the damaged item. Your contents insurance will pay what it costs to buy a replacement item of the same standard or, if the loss is only partial, will pay for repairs. The deductible stated in the policy applies in both cases. The amount determined by the insurance company may be lower than the original purchase price. This is because technology is advancing all the time, and a TV that was the latest innovation a few years ago might now be on sale at a discount.