--- title: "New Jersey Ponders Whether Meteor Damage Is Covered by Insurance" description: "After an alleged meteor struck a house in New Jersey, residents began wondering whether insurance covers extraterrestrial damage." date: "2023-05-19" modified: "2023-05-19" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/new-jersey-meteor-insurance" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "insurance" - "meteors" - "new jersey" - "the digest" --- # New Jersey Ponders Whether Meteor Damage Is Covered by Insurance ![After an alleged meteor struck a house in New Jersey, residents began wondering whether insurance covers extraterrestrial damage.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Am I Covered? After what [scientists say was]() a meteorite [smashed through a family's roof]() in New Jersey, Garden State residents began wondering whether insurance covers extraterrestrial damage. In an [advice column published to *NJ.com*](), a Jersey insurance specialist said that in the extremely unlikely case of meteorite or other space debris damage, residents who have homeowners' or business property insurance should be covered. "Based on the feedback from our members and other industry partners, it seems that a falling object, such as a meteor or falling satellite, would typically be covered by a standard homeowners or business property insurance policy," Gary La Spisa, the vice president of the Insurance Council of New Jersey, told the outlet. "Of course," La Spisa added, "it is always critical to read your policy and familiarize yourself with any exclusions that your policy may have." ## Scientifically Speaking While South Jersey astronomy expert Chris Bakley said that it's very unlikely for a piece of space debris to make its way down to the tri-state area, it nevertheless did happen last week in Hopewell Township, NJ, when a chunk of [what is probably a meteorite]() crashed through resident Suzy Kop's roof and "ricocheted" around a blessedly-uninhabited bedroom. Uncommon as it is, Bakley said that the apparent Hopewell Township meteorite "excites the science community" because this sort of impact makes it "easier to identify and confirm that it undeniably came from the sky." He added that there may be more bits of space rock "lodged and scattered in the roof and ceiling of the impacted house," though given that the homeowner didn't respond to *NJ.com*'s request for comment, the public doesn't yet know if more pieces have been recovered. So there you have it, folks: if you own a house in New Jersey, you should be covered in case of falling space junk. **More on space junk:** [*Cosmonauts Caught Littering Directly Into Space During Spacewalk*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()