Most of us will at least know someone who has had they house ‘broken into’ by emergency services which usually included the discussion of damaged or broken doors and windows. Is these situations, who is liable to fit the bill and will it be a straightforward process to follow.

If your family has an emergency at home, the emergency services may need to gain access to your house. However, what if the only way they can get in is by breaking a door or a window? If you have quality home insurance, you don’t need to think twice about any damage they may cause, as it will be covered by your home insurance.

Accidents and emergencies can easily happen at home: perhaps an elderly relative falls down and injures themselves whilst alone; there could be a situation of domestic violence; a woman might go into a labour; or a child could lock themselves into the house. In any of these examples, the emergency services might need to be called to rescue whoever is trapped inside.

If you have a fire at home, the fire services will certainly need to make a speedy entrance and they will not save your nice new front door in the process. Unfortunately, fire emergencies are more common than you might think; fire is one of the main causes of accidental injury and death amongst children in the UK. On average 34 children under the age of 11 are killed in fires in the UK every year and around 1,200 are injured. If you have a fire at home, the emergency services will need quick access to ensure your family does not become part of this statistic.

Although the emergency services will not cause unnecessary damage, their main priority has to be securing the safety of whoever is in danger. This means they could gain access to your building by smashing through a door, breaking a window or any other method deemed necessary.

Your insurance policy will usually cover loss or damage to your home when the fire, police or ambulance service has to force entry to the buildings because of an emergency or perceived emergency involving you or your family. If the emergency services damage your home whilst gaining access, you should take down a few details after the event. Take photos of the damage and also gain a report from the officials involved. You will probably be struggling with the emotional aftermath of the emergency at this point too – but you should always take action as soon as you possibly can. Your insurance company will need to know all the details of why the emergency services needed quick access and this may include official reports and documentation as well.

No one wants to think of an accident happening at home as it is a sanctuary for the family. Nevertheless, we cannot always protect our family from every misfortune and accidents do happen. It is therefore important to plan ahead with home insurance to cover the costs when those accidents occur.

Author Bio: Offering a range of financial, travel and leisure services Greenbee is selected by the John Lewis Partnership. These include pet, car, life, travel, wedding, event and home insurance products along with travel offers and the latest theatre, event, music and sport tickets.

Category: Finances
Keywords: personal property, emergency services, buildings insurance, home insurance