Would a Jurassic Park Takeover be Covered by Your Insurance?

Dinosaur Invasion in Calgary

This may be out of the realm of reality, but let’s learn a few things about insurance through the hypothetical scenario of a dinosaur attack in the city, let’s say Calgary for example. How did the dinosaurs get there in the first place? A well-meaning grad student at the University of Calgary figured out how to clone a dinosaur from ancient red blood cells and the situation-as most dinosaur breeding projects do-got a little out of control. The city of Calgary was quickly evacuated, not a human was killed during the dinosaur attacks, but the same could not be said about homes and business in Calgary. The dinosaurs were safely captured and unharmed and were sent to live and prosper on an island where they could not hurt humans.

Imagine coming back to Calgary to find your home in shambles, with large teeth marks, scratch marks, and entire levels of your home taken out by an angry and hungry Tyrannosaurus Rex. They may have been short changed in the arms department but boy, do their bites make up for it.

Who covers the damage? Who pays to fix or rebuild your home?

This is what we call an insurance dilemma.

When Dinosaurs attack:

After much contemplation and research, we have come to the conclusion that dinosaur attacks and insurance coverage isn’t black and white and that it really depends on each individual attack scenario.

• If a T-Rex tramples through your yard, and collides with your home, on its way to find its prey, then it could be considered a “collision incident” and therefore it would be covered under your policy.
• If there were baby dinos in your home, and you did nothing to get rid of them, and they grew up and wreaked havoc on your home and your neighbour’s home, then that coverage would be DENIED. Your insurance policy excludes any coverage for damage caused by animal or insect infestation.
• Let’s use the premise of the most current dinosaur film, Jurassic World (warning, spoilers ahead!), as an example. Say there was a blood thirsty, genetically modified, super-dinosaur that feeds on destruction and power, who tramples through your neighbourhood toppling homes and business for sport, well that may be considered an act of terrorism, or foreign invasion, which is excluded from your policy.
• What if the damage to your home was caused by weapons used by the army to control the dinosaur invasion? What if a rocket launcher blew a chunk out of your home? That would not be covered. Insurance companies may see the attack as foreign hostility, and all damage caused by the decision of a government agency to control or stop attacks are excluded.
• Even so, if a T-Rex’s tail accidentally knocks over a gas line, causing a massive explosion, this damage could very well be covered, as explosion is usually covered except under a terrorist attack.
• If the dinosaurs trample through a nuclear power plant, causing instability which results in a nuclear leak or explosion, this would definitely not be covered under your home insurance policy as all damage due to nuclear causes or agents are excluded.
• If somehow a dinosaur was airborne and accidentally landed on your home and smashes it to pieces, then this could be covered under your insurance policy as all flying/falling objects that hit your home is an insured peril. 

This is of course, all speculation as there is nothing in your policy wording that specifically excludes or includes “dinosaur attacks.” The above examples are purely the opinions of the author and has no bearing or legal authority in the event of a claims settlement due to a dinosaur attack.