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🚫 '''Earth movement exclusion''' is a standard [[Definition:Policy exclusion | policy exclusion]] found in most [[Definition:Property insurance | property insurance]] contracts that removes coverage for damage caused by the shifting, settling, sinking, rising, cracking, or lateral movement of earth — including [[Definition:Earthquake | earthquakes]], landslides, mudflows, sinkholes, and subsidence. Virtually all [[Definition:Homeowners insurance | homeowners]], [[Definition:Commercial property insurance | commercial property]], and [[Definition:Business interruption insurance | business interruption]] forms issued by [[Definition:Insurance carrier | carriers]] in the United States contain some version of this exclusion, making it one of the most consequential coverage limitations in the property market.

📜 The exclusion typically operates through sweeping language that bars recovery for any loss in which [[Definition:Earth movement | earth movement]] is a cause or contributing factor, regardless of whether other covered [[Definition:Peril | perils]] also played a role. Many policies reinforce this with an [[Definition:Anti-concurrent causation clause | anti-concurrent causation clause]], which prevents a [[Definition:Policyholder | policyholder]] from recovering even when a covered peril — such as fire following an earthquake — acts simultaneously or in sequence with the excluded earth movement. However, certain policies carve back limited exceptions: for instance, some forms cover fire or explosion that results from earth movement, or ensuing water damage from burst pipes caused by ground settling. The precise scope of these carve-backs varies by insurer, policy edition, and state regulatory requirements, so careful review of the [[Definition:Policy language | policy wording]] is essential.

⚖️ Disputes over this exclusion generate substantial [[Definition:Litigation | litigation]], particularly after major seismic or geotechnical events. Policyholders may argue that their damage stems from a covered cause — such as water intrusion or structural failure — rather than excluded earth movement, while insurers contend that the ground shift was the dominant or efficient proximate cause. Courts have split on these questions depending on jurisdiction and the applicable causation doctrine. For [[Definition:Insurance broker | brokers]] advising clients in geologically active regions, understanding the nuances of the earth movement exclusion is critical to structuring adequate protection, which may require placing separate [[Definition:Earthquake insurance | earthquake]] coverage or negotiating manuscript [[Definition:Endorsement | endorsements]] that narrow the exclusion's reach.

'''Related concepts:'''
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Definition:Earth movement]]
* [[Definition:Policy exclusion]]
* [[Definition:Anti-concurrent causation clause]]
* [[Definition:Earthquake insurance]]
* [[Definition:Endorsement]]
* [[Definition:Concurrent causation]]
{{Div col end}}

Definition:Earth movement exclusion - Revision history

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