Reported one item at a time
A dead television this week, the furnace board next month. Each alone looks like age. We file everything that failed together.
Power surge damage claims in Illinois
After a surge the first question is where the current came from, because a policy pays each source differently. We prove the source, list every failed item and negotiate with your insurer.
- $0 upfront
- Fee from the recovery only
- Licensed Illinois public adjusters
Three ways a surge claim loses money
The cause is called wear
With no burn mark, the carrier may say the equipment was old. We record each unit’s age and what the technician found.
The proof goes out with the trash
A replaced board returns to the supplier. Call before the repairs and we tell you what to keep.
Who pays depends on where the surge came from
The same dead equipment can be paid or left out, depending on the source the carrier accepts. Building struck? See lightning damage claims.
Lightning, on the house or nearby
- How a standard policy reads it
- A named peril. Built-in equipment and belongings are both in the claim, circuit boards included.
- What proves it
- A strike report for your address, marks on outlets or the panel, a written diagnosis per unit.
The utility’s grid
- How a standard policy reads it
- As artificially generated current. Most forms leave out the electronic parts of appliances, computers and televisions.
- What proves it
- The utility’s record of the event and the time of the outage.
Inside the building
- How a standard policy reads it
- Carriers usually argue wear or mechanical breakdown.
- What proves it
- An electrician’s written findings, made before anything is replaced.
Also check for an equipment breakdown endorsement
Some policies carry one, with a separate limit and deductible. We look for it on the declarations page before anything is filed. More in our guide to lightning and power surge claims.
- Furnace and air-conditioning boards, compressorHouse
- Wiring, outlets, breakers and the service panelHouse
- Hardwired garage door opener and linked smoke alarmsHouse
- Television, computer and a router you ownContents
- Freestanding refrigerator, washer and rangeContents
- Modem or box leased from your providerTheirs to replace
One surge, one list, two parts of the policy
Built-in equipment is claimed under the dwelling coverage. Belongings are paid only for the perils the policy names, so the cause matters most for them. We file both halves as one event.
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A small loss the carrier wanted to patch
Fire damage on a house · approved
Melted siding from a grill, replaced in full
Siding cannot be matched invisibly, so the claim was argued for the whole elevation. It was approved, completed and passed the local building inspection.
- Full siding replacement
- Matching argued and won
- Inspection passed
What Illinois law says about a surge from the utility
220 ILCS 5/16-125, for utilities with 100,000 or more customers. We are public adjusters, not attorneys.
- More than 30,000 customers affectedThen the utility pays the replacement value of the damaged goods, unless it shows a cause such as unpreventable weather damage.16-125(f)
- The remedy runs through the Illinois Commerce CommissionYour insurance claim is separate and does not wait for it.16-125(h)
- The utility keeps a record of each eventFor every fluctuation that reaches 10 or more customers. We ask for a copy as evidence.16-125(j)
Surge claim questions we hear from Illinois owners
Does homeowners insurance cover power surge damage in Illinois?
It depends on the source. Lightning is covered on a standard policy, electronics included. A utility surge falls under a different peril, and most forms leave electronic components out.
Who pays when the electric company caused the surge?
Start with your own policy, which is the claim we handle. Illinois law makes a large utility pay replacement value when one surge affects more than 30,000 customers, and that remedy runs through the Illinois Commerce Commission.
Is a small surge loss worth a claim?
Add up the whole list first: built-in equipment and belongings from one event normally share one deductible. Our review of the list and the policy is free.