Force Majeure Clause in Insurance Coverage

In this photo from the Daily Mail, a car was wrecked when a tree fell down on it.

According to Wikipedia:

Force majeure (French; pronounced: [f?rs ma?œr], approximately fors ma-zhur) or vis major (Latin) “superior force”, also known as cas fortuit (French) or casus fortuitus (Latin) “chance occurrence, unavoidable accident”,[1] is a common clause in contracts that essentially frees both parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties, such as a war, strike, riot, crime, or an event described by the legal term act of God (such as hurricane, flooding, earthquake, volcanic eruption, etc.), prevents one or both parties from fulfilling their obligations under the contract.

With the many calamities happening around us that are destroying lives and property, people are encouraged to include the clause that covers “force majeure” or “acts of God” in their non-life insurance coverage.

If ever you already have or are planning to buy insurance, ask your agent about this, especially if your area is prone to disasters.

In the photo above, gales or strong winds swept across England and Wales. The highest speed was at 100mph, hitting the Pennines. It caused a lot of disruption, especially during the rush hour. And in this house in East London, a tree was uprooted and fell down on a parked car. A family was trapped inside.