I was sitting in my living room when I heard a ping and a crash. I opened the wine cabinet to find a bottle of Champagne had exploded. The glass was everywhere. It wasn’t hot. I didn’t touch it. The bottle just failed. My insurer said, “We don’t cover manufacturing defects.”
Key Takeaways
- “Latent Defect” Exclusion: Insurers classify spontaneous shattering due to weak glass or over-carbonation as a manufacturing flaw (Latent Defect). This is generally excluded.
- The “Resulting Damage” Loophole: While the bottle itself isn’t covered, the damage it causes might be. If the exploding Champagne ruins the $5,000 Persian rug underneath it, the rug is covered.
- Sudden vs. Gradual: You must emphasize the “sudden” nature of the event. If it leaked slowly, it’s maintenance. If it exploded, it’s an event.
- Thermal Shock: If you can prove the breakage was caused by a sudden temperature shift (e.g., AC blew cold air directly on a warm bottle), it becomes an “External Cause” claim, which is covered.
The “Why” (The Trap)
The trap is “Inherent Vice.”
Champagne is under massive pressure (90 psi). If the glass has a microscopic flaw, it will eventually fail. Insurance covers external accidents (you drop it), not internal failures (it gives up).
The Investigation (I Called Them)
I presented the “Exploding Bottle” scenario.
AIG Private Client
- Response: “If it’s just one bottle, it’s likely under your deductible. If it destroyed other bottles (shrapnel damage), we would cover the other bottles as ‘damage from falling objects/projectiles,’ but not the source bottle.”
Standard Carrier
- Response: “Denied. Defective product.”
Comparison Table
| Scenario | Covered? | Reason |
| Bottle Explodes (Defect) | No | Inherent Vice |
| Bottle Explodes (Fire Heat) | Yes | Fire |
| Bottle Explodes (Dropped) | Yes | Accidental Breakage |
| Damage to Rug (from wine) | Yes | Resulting Loss |
Step-by-Step Action Plan
- Keep the Shards: Do not throw away the glass. You need to show the thickness or the lack of impact point (to prove you didn’t drop it).
- Check for Collateral Damage: Did the wine stain the wood cabinet? Did glass scratch the shelf? Claim the cabinet repair. The cost of refinishing the cabinet might exceed the deductible, effectively paying for the loss.
- [IMAGE: Photo of red wine stained oak cabinetry]
- Contact the Winery: High-end Champagne houses take explosions seriously. If you send them photos of the lot code and the damage, they often replace the bottle to avoid liability/bad PR.
FAQ
Is this common?
It’s rare, but happens with Champagne or heavy bottle variation.
Can I sue the glassmaker?
Theoretically, yes (Product Liability), but for a $100 bottle, it’s not worth the legal fees.