ABSTRACT
In the United States, billions of dollars of property are susceptible to damage from earthquakes. The purchase of insurance is one way that individuals can protect themselves from disastrous losses of property; yet it is not clear that the insurance industry is prepared to back up its policies. Because of the crisis of earthquake insurance provision, the topic has become of intense interest to both the insurance industry and the federal government. The industry is concerned that possible liabilities in the event of a major, damaging earthquake in a metropolitan area such as Los Angeles would leave many companies vulnerable to business failure. The federal government is concerned that residents and businesses are protected from disastrous losses, and would prefer that the full financial burden for recovery does not fall on federal agencies. In this chapter we will examine the industry, federal, state and homeowner perspectives on the provision of insurance.
