Resultant Damage

What Does Resultant Damage Mean?

Resultant damage refers to secondary damage that arises as a consequence of primary damage. For instance, if a tree falls onto a house, the impact would be considered primary damage. However, if the incident causes a pipe to burst, leading to flooding in the house, the flood damage would be classified as resultant damage. Whether that flooding is paid for depends heavily on the wording of your policy, and our breakdown of what homeowners insurance covers for water damage walks through the most common gray areas.

Insuranceopedia Explains Resultant Damage

Some insurance policies include coverage for resultant damage, while others do not. Understanding this distinction is crucial before purchasing an insurance policy, particularly a homeowner’s policy. Water damage is one of the most common forms of resultant damage. It can be highly expensive, ruin numerous household items, and compromise the structural integrity of a home. The cause of the leak also matters, since insurers treat sudden bursts and slow leaks differently, and our guide to whether homeowners insurance covers broken pipes explains how those rules typically apply. Additionally, it can lead to mold growth. Mold that follows a covered water event sits in one of the trickiest areas of a home policy, and you can read more about how it is treated in our guide to mold coverage under a home policy. For these reasons, it is advisable to look for policies that provide coverage for resultant damage.