FAQ: What is an act of God?

Q: A tree fell on my car. Is this an act of God?

A: An act of God is basically a way of saying mother nature caused the accident. For example, in the middle of a tornado, a tree may land on your car. No one is responsible. It is an act of God. Sometimes, just because the wind blows it over, it is not an act of God. For example, if you do not maintain a tree and let it die, then a breeze comes by and the tree falls over, this is not an act of God.

It is always a question of fact, but ask yourself if other trees in the area are down. If so, it is more likely an act of God.

Comments

[Jerry]

I was in the middle of a microburst storm in Utah during the 1993/94 school year, complete with 100 mph+ winds. After that experience, my personal litmus test for Act of God boils down to:

"Did the event make you say bad words and want to wet your pants? If so... it's probably an Act of God."

OK, I don't know if I could get that definition accepted by the companies out there selling insurance, but it's always stuck with me... : )

Jerry
www.leads4insurance.com