ATLANTA – Feb. 19, 2013 – After a meteor struck western Siberia and more meteors threatened the entire globe on Friday, CNNMoney asked the question: Who pays for damage to a home if hit by a space object?

Rest easy, “your insurance covers falling objects,” says Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute. In the rare case a meteor crashed through a homeowner’s roof over the years, insurers have paid the damage for those insured, Hartwig says.

“Blue ice” – frozen sewage that sometimes falls from airplanes – is more common and is also covered if it falls from the sky onto your home, Hartwig says.

A remnant of a meteor struck in the Urals region of western Siberia Friday injuring more than 700 people and damaging nearly 300 buildings. It was referred to as a “once-in-a-century” event.

“The earth is pelted with 40 tons of space debris a year,” says Laurie Leshin, a former NASA scientist. “Most of that is in teeny dust particles,” and rarely does it injure people or damage property.

Source: “Who Pays for Damage From a Meteor?” CNNMoney (Feb. 15, 2013)

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