When we go to see our favourite upcoming superhero movies in theatres, we rarely think about the more “technical side” of things. Like – how can superheroes fight crime at the drop of a hat but seemingly not be working full-time jobs to afford basic necessities, like rent and groceries? What kind of property insurance would a secret spy agency have? Could a villain insure their evil lair? As you may know, insurers calculate premiums based on risk. The likelier you are to make a claim, the higher your premiums will be. Your premiums may also be influenced by the amount of coverage you have, your location, personal demographics, and more. Chances are that if you fight crime on the regular, your insurance company may be a little hesitant to insure you. Here is a list of the 10 movies that insurance companies hate.
1. The avengers
The famous, smart-mouthed Tony Stark may be rich, but the amount of property damage the Avengers have caused throughout their films would probably be much higher than his net worth. Would your home insurance cover you if your property was destroyed amid an otherworldly battle between Earth’s superheroes and an alien invasion? It might not. A common property coverage exclusion is “loss caused by governmental or public authority.” If the damage was caused by the aliens themselves, it still might not be covered as typically “acts of war” are also excluded.
2. Fast & furious (all of them)
The “Fast & Furious” movie franchise is essentially just as its name suggests – fast and furious. The movies are largely comprised of flashy vehicles, extreme stunts, and street racing. Street racing and stunt driving are both considered incredibly dangerous and being caught doing so may result in you losing your license, being fined a hefty fee, and you even chance jailtime. From the insurance side of things, claims due to stunt driving or street racing incidents would not be covered and a conviction of street racing/stunt driving may make your premiums soar. This offense could stay on your record for as long as three years, during which time you would be labelled a high-risk driver.
3. Dennis the menace
Dennis the Menace stars a mischievous five-year-old boy who thwarts a home invasion with his antics. In the robbery attempt, the film’s villain attempts to steal Dennis’ antique coins. Your property insurance does cover instances of theft up until the limits stated in your policy. However, higher-value items such as collectibles – or antique coins – may require to be listed separately due to the fact that they are of higher value and in some instances you would need to purchase a separate jewellery rider to include coverage for valuables.
4. Godzilla
Godzilla is another classic monster movie which has a gigantic, 335-foot lizard stomping around heavily populated San Francisco and destroying everything in sight. Numerous insurance policies might come into play with an event as big as a monstrous lizard destroying a city. Businesses may be destroyed – in which case, business interruption would be critical – but also homes, apartment buildings, and condominiums. It gets a little confusing as to whether the damages would be covered. If your property was destroyed as result of explosion or fire from the attack, it would be covered. But earth movement, acts of war, and “infestation” aren’t generally covered. In this case, it could be an issue for many homeowners.
5. The purge
This horror movie stars a “what-if” twist where on a single night every year, all crime is legal. In 2013’s Purge, a family tries to survive the night by shutting themselves inside their home. Criminal activity is not covered by your home insurance, even if you aren’t aware that anything illegal was occurring on your property. However, it gets a little murky in a situation where crime is “legal” – even if for only 12 hours. What about life insurance? If the “Purge” was a real thing, chances are it would be an extremely expensive endorsement or be excluded from coverage altogether.
6. Baby driver
Baby Driver, a 2017 action film starring a getaway driver with tinnitus, features car chases – and lots of them. How would auto insurance work for a film like Baby Driver? The star of the film is a young male, and that already might put him as having much higher premiums than a more experienced, older driver. However, he use multiple cars in the movie – and he uses them for transporting “clients” to and from various criminal activities. He also speeds, hits other cars, runs red lights, etc. – so he might be a pretty difficult candidate to insure, even if he could keep a license.
7. Transformers
The Transformers in the popular action movie franchise are living human-resembling robots that can disguise themselves as a regular-day vehicle. Throughout their films, their battles wreak havoc on businesses, properties, and generally cause a lot of damage. Suffice to say, it would be very difficult to insure a Transformer – for life insurance, they may not qualify as they are not technically human, and getting insurance for a modified vehicle through any auto insurance company can be tedious – or even impossible, given the scale of the Transformers’ special features and alterations.
8. Titanic
The historical Titanic that sunk in April of 1912 was insured for around what would equal about $133 million in today’s dollars, and its insurance company was able to absorb the massive loss. The film details the loss of The Titanic, and the devastation its sinking wrought. What the film did not cover was the mass amount of claims that passengers would have had to make for their belongings and cargo – ranging anywhere between an actual hand-bound book of poetry festooned with over 1,000 gemstones to basic clothing and luggage. The property claims would have totalled around $9.42 million.
9. War of the worlds
In the original version of Wells’ War of the Worlds, aliens invade the English countryside and cause mass devastation. Not only would this cause havoc to local businesses, residences, and vehicles, but when the film was remade by Spielberg in 2005 the setting was switched to New Jersey – where property taxes are much higher. If an alien invasion caused devastation via explosion or fire, unfortunate residents within War of the Worlds may have coverage. Then again, it gets confusing because this could constitute as an act of war, which is generally excluded from most home insurance policies. Finally, any damages due to government action protecting Earth from aliens would also not be covered.
10. Body snatchers
The 1993 science fiction film that featured alien “pod people” snatching human bodies raises some interesting questions about life insurance. Common exclusions for life insurance may include acts of war, dangerous activities, and suicide. If one could count an alien invasion as an act of war, you may not have coverage for any body snatching. A more “true to life” and legitimate threat that does exist – which you can be insured for – is another form of body snatching, known as identity theft. This is a coverage plan that can be offered as part of a home insurance policy and can cover you from instances of identity theft or fraud.
