An earthquake is strong shaking of the ground caused by movement in the earth’s crust, which can damage houses, apartments, buildings, roads and property.
An earthquake is a natural event where the ground suddenly shakes because of movement in the earth’s crust. For people, this may feel like strong shocks, shaking walls, falling objects, cracks in a building or damage to property. In insurance, an earthquake is treated as a natural disaster risk and is usually covered only if it is directly included in the contract.
In simple words:
So an earthquake is not just “the house shook”. It is a separate insurance risk that should be checked in the policy in advance.
An earthquake can be compared to someone suddenly shaking a table with cups, books and electronics on it. The table itself may remain standing, but objects can fall, something can break, and weak spots become visible.
The same logic applies to a house or apartment. A strong building may withstand the shaking. But cracks may appear, finishing may fall off, pipes may be damaged, furniture or appliances may fall. The stronger the shaking and the weaker the object, the higher the possible damage.
The main idea is simple: an earthquake is dangerous not only because the ground moves, but because it can damage housing, business property and things inside.
An earthquake can cause serious damage in just a few seconds. Unlike a small leak or a single breakdown, it may affect an entire building, block, district or city at once.
For a family, this may mean cracks in an apartment, damaged renovation, partial destruction of a house or loss of belongings. For a business, it may mean damage to a warehouse, goods, equipment, display cases, office or production premises.
That is why earthquake should be reviewed separately in insurance. It is not always included in a basic policy, and often it must be added as an additional risk or selected through a program where it is already included.
During an earthquake, not only the building itself can be damaged, but also the property inside it.
For example:
But it is important to understand that not all of this is automatically insured. You need to check which objects are listed in the policy.
Damage may be covered if earthquake risk is directly included in the insurance contract. Sometimes it is included under “natural disasters”, and sometimes it is listed separately.
Usually, the following matters:
For example, if an apartment policy lists “fire, water damage and earthquake”, and after shaking there are cracks and damaged finishing, the insurer may review the loss under the contract terms.
Even if property is insured, earthquake damage may not be covered if this risk is not included in the policy.
Questions may also arise if:
The simple logic is this: the insurer reviews not only the fact that shaking happened, but also the link between the earthquake, damaged property and contract terms.
In some policies, earthquake is not part of basic protection. For example, a basic policy may cover fire and water damage, but not natural disasters.
In that case, earthquake should be added separately or included through an extended program. This may increase the policy price, but it gives broader protection.
This risk is especially important to check when insuring:
The main point is not to assume that “natural disasters” are automatically included in every policy.
Earthquake is a natural disaster, but it differs from many other risks. For example, strong wind, hail, flood or landslide usually have different causes and different signs of damage.
Earthquake is connected with underground shocks and ground movement.
It can cause cracks, deformation, falling objects, damage to structures and utility systems.
Flood is connected with water.
It usually damages floors, walls, furniture, goods and electrical systems through water exposure.
Strong wind or hail usually damages roofs, windows, facades, cars and outdoor property.
In insurance, it is important to identify the cause of damage correctly, because different natural risks may be included or excluded separately.
Before buying a policy, it is important not only to see the words “natural disasters”, but to understand what exactly is included.
It is useful to check:
It is better to clarify these questions before signing the contract, not after the event.
After an earthquake, it is necessary to confirm not only the damage itself, but also its connection with the event.
Usually, the following may be needed:
If the damage is serious, the insurer may send a specialist to inspect the object.
After an earthquake, people’s safety comes first. It is not worth entering a damaged room immediately if there are cracks, gas smell, damaged wiring or a risk of collapse.
Usually, it is useful to:
It is important not to clean everything up immediately unless safety requires it. Sometimes damage traces are needed for assessment.
The insurer checks what property was insured, which risk was included and which damage was caused by the earthquake.
Usually, they assess:
For example, if a new crack appears in a wall after an earthquake, it is important to understand whether it existed before or appeared because of the shaking.
Earthquake — underground shocks and ground movement that may damage buildings and property.
In insurance, it is a separate natural risk.
Natural disaster — a strong natural event that may cause damage.
For example, earthquake, flood, storm, hail or landslide.
Insured property — property included in the policy.
The insurer reviews damage specifically to that property.
Insured risk — an event that the policy protects against.
Earthquake must be included in the risk list for coverage to work.
Deductible — the part of the loss paid by the client.
It may also apply to earthquake risk.
Exclusions — situations the policy does not cover.
They should be read before buying insurance.
Earthquake as an insurance risk is important for anyone who insures housing, business premises, a warehouse, equipment or goods.
It is especially useful if you:
The main idea is simple: earthquake can be an expensive risk, and it should be checked in the policy in advance.
Imagine Aziz from Tashkent insures his apartment for 450 million soums. The policy includes fire, water damage and natural disasters, including earthquake. He also separately lists renovation and built-in furniture for 120 million soums.
A few months later, after strong shaking, cracks appear on the walls, finishing in the hallway is damaged and a built-in door becomes distorted. Household appliances were not listed separately.
What happens next:
The result is clear: if earthquake is included in coverage and the damaged property is listed in the policy, the insurer may review the loss. But renovation, furniture, appliances and the home itself should be described separately in advance.
Aziz from Tashkent insured his apartment for 450 million soums and separately listed renovation for 120 million soums. After strong shaking, cracks appeared on the walls and part of the hallway finishing was damaged.
The insurer checked whether earthquake was included in coverage and whether the renovation was listed in the policy. If the risk was included, the loss could be reviewed under the contract terms.
Madina from Samarkand insured a warehouse with goods worth 600 million soums. The policy listed fire, water damage and natural disasters, including earthquake.
After the shaking, some shelves fell and damaged the goods. The insurer checked the link between the loss and the earthquake, the list of insured property and the policy limits.
Bekzod from Andijan bought a policy for his house only against fire and water damage. After an earthquake, cracks appeared in the house and repairs cost about 80 million soums.
If earthquake risk was not included in the contract, the insurer could refuse to cover this damage. Bekzod understood that natural disaster risks should be checked before buying a policy.
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