Accidental Damage Poses Biggest Risk for PC Owners.

Accidental damage--the type of loss least likely to be covered by standard homeowners and business insurance--poses the biggest single risk for personal computer owners, according to a new insurance industry study.

An analysis of personal-computer damage claims filed in 2000 showed that 56% resulted from accidental damage--up from 49% in 1999. Thefts, the next largest source of claims, accounted for 27%--down from 28% in 1999, according to the study by Safeware, a member of Assurant Group, and a provider of computer and high-tech equipment insurance.

About 831,000 PCs incurred accidental damage in 2000 that could have resulted in insurance claims, the study noted. More than 95% of accidentally damaged units were notebook PCs.

Donald F. Strejeck, president of Safeware, said in a statement that notebook PC losses accounted for 92% of claims processed by Safeware last year, up from 87% in 1999. "We continue to see more and more consumers replacing their desktop PCs with notebooks, which are more vulnerable to accidental damage or theft," he said.

Jim Sykes, a spokesman for Assurant Group, said the company sees many opportunities for the sale of this type of insurance.

"We are forming alliances with several universities and are looking to sell policies to individual college students," he said. "We think it is an attractive market. It goes along with the trend that more and more students are going with laptops, and these students are more vulnerable [to theft]." Sykes said for a $2,000 policy, a college student's annual premium would be $120 for a laptop computer, $120 for a notebook, and $62 for a desktop. The company is looking at more direct sales as well.