Acts of God

The legal term "acts of God" is a description of events that occur in nature and are beyond the control of human beings. Such natural disasters as floods, tornados, or hurricanes would be considered acts of God. For legal purposes, however, there is a distinction drawn between acts of God and negligence that puts an individual in the path of an act of God that could have otherwise been avoided. For instance, a flood can be avoided by leaving an area but an individual who chooses to kayak the flood waters has intentionally put himself in the way of an act of God.

Since many traditional insurance policies exclude coverage for acts of God, specialized insurance policies have evolved such as flood insurance. People who live in high risk areas for such acts of God must take out multiple policies. On the American Gulf Coast many homeowners' claims were denied after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 because the damage to their homes was caused by the floods resulting from the hurricane and they did not have specific flood policies.

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