What Is an Insured Peril?
A "peril" is an event that causes loss or damage — fire, flood, theft, storm, and so on. An "insured peril" is one that your specific policy agrees to cover. If a peril is not listed — or is explicitly excluded — the insurer has no obligation to pay, even if the damage is severe.
Policies are structured in one of two ways:
- Named perils: Only the risks explicitly listed in the policy are covered. Anything not named is excluded by default.
- All-risks (or open perils): All causes of loss are covered except those explicitly excluded. This is broader cover, but the exclusions section still matters enormously.
Common Insured Perils in Home and Car Policies
Most standard home insurance policies in Ireland list some or all of the following as insured perils:
- Fire and smoke — damage caused by fire, including smoke damage to surrounding areas
- Storm and wind — typically covers structural damage caused by wind speeds meeting a defined threshold; may exclude fences, gates, and hedges
- Flood — water damage from external sources such as rivers or coastal surges; internal drainage failures are often treated separately
- Theft and attempted theft — usually requires evidence of forced entry; items taken from an unlocked building may not qualify
- Escape of water — burst pipes or leaking appliances; gradual leaks over time may be excluded
- Accidental damage — sudden, unintended physical damage; often sold as an add-on rather than a standard peril
- Subsidence and heave — movement of the ground beneath the property; frequently subject to high excesses or special conditions
- Impact damage — collision by vehicles, falling trees, or aircraft
Car insurance perils vary by cover level. Third-party only covers damage caused to others. Third party, fire and theft adds fire and theft of the insured vehicle. Comprehensive adds accidental damage to the insured vehicle itself.
Why Reading the Perils List Matters
The perils section tells you the precise scope of what the insurer will pay for — before any exclusions narrow it further. Two policies can both describe themselves as "home insurance" while covering materially different events.
Example
Storm damage to roof tiles is a common claim. Whether it is covered depends on how the policy defines "storm" — some policies require sustained wind speeds above a threshold (e.g. Beaufort Force 10), others apply a broader definition. The same event may be covered under one policy and excluded under another.
What Happens When a Peril Is Not Listed?
If the cause of your loss is not an insured peril, the claim will typically be declined at the first stage of review. Common scenarios where this arises:
- Damage caused by gradual deterioration or wear and tear — not a peril in any standard policy
- Flood damage in a policy that excludes coastal flooding or surface water separately from "flood"
- Theft from an unlocked vehicle or building — many policies require evidence of forced entry for theft to qualify
- Accidental damage where the policy only covers named perils and accidental damage is not listed
If a claim is declined on the basis that the event was not an insured peril, the policyholder can dispute the decision through the insurer's internal complaints process and, if unresolved, escalate to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) in Ireland.
Where to Find the Perils List in Your Policy
The perils list is usually found in the main policy wording document, not the schedule. Look for a section headed "What We Cover," "Insured Events," or "Section 1 — Buildings." The definitions section at the front of the document often contains precise definitions of individual perils that affect how broadly or narrowly they apply.