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Social security denial - a journal of assistance

Personal Injury Protections Homeowners Need To Consider

1 September 2017

Alexis Garcia

If you own a home, you often worry about accidents that could be costly for your home. Many people worry about basement flooding, mold, fire, theft, or vandalism. However, there is another threat to your financial security that you might not have considered: personal injury or liability lawsuits. There are a few situations that could result in the serious injury of a visitor.

Here's what homeowners need to do to protect themselves from personal injury lawsuits. 

1. Make sure you have enough liability insurance. 

One aspect of your homeowners insurance is meant to help protect you against the cost of a personal injury lawsuit. This liability coverage should cover medical bills, loss of income, and other damage claims from the injured party. 

However, these policies often have a cap, and if the money you have in your policy is not enough, you could still lose assets if the injury suit requires you to pay much more. It's best to review your policy with your insurer and assess the risks of your property and lifestyle. You may want to purchase a supplemental policy if you:

• have a swimming pool
• frequently have children and teens over at your home
• own animals
• have an expansive yard with many attractions, like trampolines or ATVs
• entertain often with large crowds

These lifestyle additions usually increase the chances of injury at your home, necessitating more thorough financial coverage. 

2. Keep your home in good repair. 

Even if someone is injured at your property, you may not be on the hook for all the damages if you are a responsible homeowner who takes time to keep things in good repair. Generally, damages outside of medical costs cannot be paid out if you are not guilty of any negligence that contributed to the accident.

For example, if someone falls down the stairs at your home, you might be found negligent if the stairs were wet or if you were missing a handrail. However, you couldn't be found negligent if the stairs were clean, properly cared for, and properly secured with railings. It's an unfortunate accident, and your insurance could still cover some of the medical costs because the person was injured at your home, but you won't have to pay damages for pain and suffering. 

Some other examples of maintenance responsibilities for homeowners include:

• keeping walks free of snow and ice, especially when you are expecting company
• making sure aggressive animals are kept secured in kennels before guests arrive
• fixing broken steps or concrete that could be a tripping hazard
• placing fencing around swimming pools and keeping the latches in good repair
• trimming trees so that dead or neglected branches do not fall on passersby
• putting railings on decks and balconies

You never know when an accident might occur, but if a home is kept in good repair, risks for injuries go down. 

3. Do your best to ensure guests' safety. 

When you invite people over to your home, you assume responsibility for their safety. You need to consider what risks might be associated with the gathering. If it's simple family dinner, the risk is lower, but if you're having a large New Year's Eve party, you may need to take more precautions. For example, you want to make sure you aren't serving alcohol to minors or to people you know will be driving. In some states, social host liability laws mean that you could be sued if a person causes a drunk driving accident after being served drinks at your home. Laws vary by state, but they are usually always in place for minors. 

For more information, contact a personal injury attorney at a law firm like Wolter, Beeman, Lynch & Londrigan LLP near you. 

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