Trees on your property can be lovely and offer much-needed summer shade. However, once a tree dies, you should remove it before it harms you, your neighbors, or anyone else. Before you decide what to do with a dead tree in your yard, consider the risks that hazardous dead trees present.
Injuries
Without nutrients and moisture from the roots, the wood in a dead tree becomes brittle and breaks easily. Falling branches and limbs can cause anything from minor scrapes and bruises to fatal injuries. If a branch from a dead tree on your land injures someone, you might be liable for their medical expenses. You could also owe damages for their pain and suffering.
Damage to Utility and Power Lines
Dead trees break easily. If a large limb falls or the whole tree comes down, it can damage nearby power and utility lines. As a result, you and your neighbors might lose power. Outages put the elderly and anyone who relies on electric medical equipment in danger. Furthermore, broken telephone lines could interfere with 911 emergency calls in your neighborhood.
Loss of Property
When a dead tree or limb falls on your home, car, or garage, the results can be disastrous. Repairs can cost tens of thousands of dollars or more. On top of that, people and pets could be hurt. If the tree falls onto a neighbor’s land, you might have to pay for their repairs and any injuries.
Insurance
Some homeowner’s insurance policies may pay to remove a dead tree before it falls. However, other plans may not cover any damage from a falling dead tree. Check your policy to learn what it covers when it comes to dead trees.
Warning Signs of Hazardous Dead Trees
A completely dead tree is easy to spot. However, a tree can still be dangerous even if some of its leaves look healthy.
First, check for dead limbs or branches still attached to the tree. Sometimes branches break near the top and get caught in the lower branches, where they can still fall. If a dead limb is large enough to injure someone, have it cut off.
Also watch for these warning signs: deep cracks in the trunk or limbs, weak spots where two branches meet, visible decay or cankers, and trees that lean too far to one side.
Need help from a local pro? Nashville Tree Service provides professional tree removal and storm damage cleanup throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Request a free estimate or call 615-294-0211.
