Some policies may contain some provision for accidental damage to contents, but is not enough for the vast majority of home owners. The increasing expense of easily breakable home items such as computers, game systems, and DVD players make insurance against accidental damage a near necessity. The generally low limit an insurer will provide without specific contents coverage is not nearly enough. It is a good idea to go over everything that might need to be covered, noting the cost and the amount of coverage that would be necessary for their replacement.

Contents accidental damage insurance will pay for televisions, CD and DVD players, desktop computers, laptop computers, video game systems, and other home entertainment equipment.

The insurance companies define accidental damage as damage that occurs in a sudden, unexpected manner, when there was no deliberate attempt to cause harm, from an external source. This means that the general wear of use or some sort of internal failure does not apply. If the computer just does not turn on one day - that is not accidental damage. If the toddler should get caught in a tangle of wires and pull the laptop computer down to the floor and break it, this would be covered by certain policies. Children are often the cause of many insurance claims when it comes to contents damage. It is common for policies to cover damage caused by a toddler putting milk into the DVD player, but double check just in case.

Most people look into extra contents accidental damage insurance for events such as those mentioned above. In a busy household, it is impossible to know what will happen and the right insurance offers peace of mind. It is too easy for a youngster to unknowingly destroy equipment worth a large amount of money, and most families cannot afford to pay for replacements. These policies do not apply to damage caused by pets. If it is the dog rather than the toddler that drags the computer or the TV off its stand, it is up to the homeowner to pay for repair or replacement.

Contents accidental damage insurance does not always cover damage caused by pests and vermin either. Should rats ruin wiring or ants infest some electronic equipment, insurance will not come to the rescue. It is always smart to know just what an insurance policy will and will not cover.