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Comment by hundt | Hacker News Reader

Here is a quote from my insurance policy (Erie Insurance):

> “We” do not pay for loss resulting directly or indirectly from...the discharge, dispersal, release or escape of any solid, liquid, gaseous or thermal irritant, pollutant or contaminant, including smoke, vapors, soot, fumes, acids, alkalis, chemicals and waste

I checked another insurer (State Farm) and they had similar language:

> We do not insure, however, for loss...caused by...Discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release or escape of pollutants...Pollutants means any solid, liquid, gaseous or thermal irritant or contaminant, including smoke, vapor, soot, fumes, acids, alkalis, chemicals and waste

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Keep reading the Erie policy. Look for phrases like:

"...into or upon the land, the atmosphere or any course of or body of water, whether above or below ground."

and

"but this exclusion does not apply if such discharge, dispersal, release or escape is sudden and accidental."

I'm pretty confident you will find them, or something similar.

I looked, but I don't see anything like that. The exclusions for smoke and water damage do not apply to "sudden and accidental" losses but the pollution one does. And it does not limit it to contamination of the environment.

My Erie policy was emailed to me, but here is a State Farm policy (not the one I quoted above) that has a similar exclusion:

http://www.opic.texas.gov/images/TDI_Approved_Policy_Forms/S...

That said, from googling I gather that there has been a lot of litigation over what counts as a "pollutant," including specifically whether gasoline counts. So I don't think that the presence of this clause means that an insurance company will always try to exclude any losses involving gasoline. I just think maybe they would have an argument if they wanted to.

Look at page 21 of that document.

"This (pollution) exclusion does not apply to bodily injury or property damage:

... (3) caused by common household chemicals used to maintain the residence premises."

Additionally, and perhaps even more importantly, this exclusion is in the "Personal Liability" section of the policy. The coverage/exclusions for the "Dwelling" are on pages 8-12.

Ah, interesting, I didn't read that to include gasoline but I see how one could argue that it does. The Erie policy has no such language.

In any case, thanks for the responses. My gut reaction is to agree with you that a lot of these "homeowners insurance will deny your claim if you do X!" warnings are based on third-hand knowledge or misinformation. I don't have any special knowledge though. (Do you?)

Edit: oops, you're right of course that I was reading the wrong part of the State Farm document! I swear I am not reading the Erie one so carelessly though.

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