Insurance decisions, explained by the life event that caused them.

Usually your own auto policy's comprehensive coverage, if you carry it, because damage from falling objects is a comprehensive claim, less your deductible. Homeowners policies typically don't cover cars. If the neighbor was negligent, such as ignoring a dead tree, your insurer may seek repayment from them, which can return your deductible.

It depends on where the water came from. A burst pipe or other sudden water release inside the home is typically covered by homeowners insurance. A sewer or drain backup usually needs a water backup endorsement. Rain, groundwater or rising water from outside is flood, which most home policies exclude, and flood insurance covers only certain items in a basement.

Damage to the structure itself from a sudden pipe burst is typically covered under the landlord's own dwelling coverage, similar to how it would work for an owner-occupied home. The tenant's personal belongings, however, are generally not covered by the landlord's policy at all, which is one of the main reasons landlords often require tenants to carry their own renters insurance.

Injuries to customers on your premises are typically what general liability insurance is designed to address, often covering medical costs and legal defense if the customer pursues a claim or lawsuit. How the claim plays out usually depends on whether the hazard was reasonably addressed beforehand, such as posting a wet floor sign, and how quickly the business documented and responded to the incident.

Sometimes, partly. The NAIC says orthodontics, meaning braces and retainers, are generally covered through a rider, often at a lower percentage than other dental work. Many plans cover children's braces up to a lifetime maximum and cover adults less often. Under the ACA, dental coverage is an essential health benefit for children, not adults.

Usually, yes. Marketplace health plans must cover behavioral health treatment, such as psychotherapy and counseling, and federal parity rules generally stop plans from limiting mental health care more strictly than medical care. Your cost depends on your plan's copay or coinsurance, deductible and network, so check whether the therapist is in-network.

Yes, standard life insurance generally pays for a death from natural causes such as illness or a heart attack, which is most deaths. The Texas regulator says that after a policy's first two years, the company must pay regardless of the cause of death. Accidental death coverage is different: it pays only when the death results from an accident.

In most cases, no. Medicare says Original Medicare doesn't cover dental services like cleanings, fillings and extractions, or items like dentures and implants. Exceptions are narrow, such as dental care tied to certain covered medical treatment. Some Medicare Advantage plans and separate dental plans include dental benefits, often with yearly limits.

Each roommate's own renters policy generally covers their own belongings, since one person's policy usually doesn't cover an unrelated roommate unless they're named. The roommate who caused the fire may face a liability claim for damage to the landlord's property, which his renters liability coverage may pay. Without renters insurance, each person generally bears their own losses.