Information and frequently asked questions about the Earthquake Insurance
Services
- Protect your property: Private individuals and small-to-mid-sized businesses can protect their real estate, household contents and business inventories against the financial consequences of earthquakes.
- Eliminate your exposure to risk: Protect yourself against a risk that is not fully covered - if at all - under most insurance policies.
- Protect your income and assets: Secure compensation for lost rental and business income if your property should be rendered unusable for a period of time.
- Consequential losses covered: Earthquake insurance pays compensation for related subsequent losses due to fires, looting and other circumstances.
- Round-the-clock assistance: Our emergency hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, staffed by claims experts dedicated to providing you rapid assistance.
Why are most Swiss unaware of the danger posed by earthquakes?
Severe earthquakes are rare, so people go about their lives generally unconcerned. The last major earthquake occurred in 1946 in Valais. But in fact, such occurrence could happen tomorrow – anywhere in Switzerland.
Most quakes are scarcely even noticeable. So that’s not a real problem, right?
Switzerland records between 500 and 800 tremors a year on average, most of which are minor. But small quakes can cause great damage, like costly cracking of a load-bearing wall, or water damage from pipe breakage.
Optional insurance protection against lost rental and business income is available, but what are the specifics?
For example, if you own a restaurant and it has to close for several weeks after being rendered structurally unstable in an earthquake. Zurich will then compensate you for the lost business income from the restaurant.
Isn’t earthquake insurance extremely expensive?
At just modest extra cost you get excellent protection against the natural disaster that harbors the most damage potential.
How much does coverage of consequential damages cost?
Unlike other insurers, Zurich also covers consequential damages resulting from earthquakes, if fire breaks out for example, or looting by people trying to exploit the crisis situation.
