Protecting Your Home from Liability Claims

If someone injures themselves while visiting your home, there’s a chance that you may be found liable. Depending on the severity of the injury, this could lead to legal trouble. Fortunately, most homeowners insurance policies have the option of liability coverage. However, it’s typically best not to have to use it. Here’s how you can protect your home from liability claims or legal trouble. 

Understanding Liability Claims

When a person or their property is injured at your home, you may be liable to compensate them. When this happens, you would put in a liability claim through your homeowners insurance. This can cover medical bills, legal expenses and other costs associated with bodily injury that happened in your home, due to your pets or due to your negligent actions while on your property. 

Identifying Potential Hazards

To avoid a liability claim due to an injury inside your home, make sure your home is safe before inviting people over. Check for safety hazards inside and outside of your home. Look for potential risks, like cords or discarded items, in high-traffic areas. Avoid creating hazards like wet floors when having company. If people aside from friends and family, like clients or repair technicians, frequently come into your home, you may want to consider a professional inspection to avoid potential hazards. 

Implementing Safety Measures

Many of the safety measures you put in place to protect yourself from liability can also benefit your family. Keeping the premises secure with locks and safety systems can help you ensure that no uninvited visitors show up at your home. Well-lit pathways and landscapes can protect you, your family and any passersby from accidental falls. Maintaining features like stairs, fences and decks can also go a long way in making your home safer. 

Mitigating Risks for Homeowners with Pools

Pools can be a great feature to have in your home, especially if you have family members who love spending time outdoors. They can also be nice for entertaining. However, they also leave a lot of room for liability claims. Make sure that your pool is compliant with local pool safety regulations, and keep it fenced in and covered to prevent uninvited swimmers from getting in. Make sure that whenever someone is in your pool, even a friend or family member, that they’re supervised by a responsible adult. 

Responding to Liability Claims

Despite all your efforts, there may come a time when someone files a liability claim against you. Gather as much evidence as possible that you did your due diligence to keep them protected. If necessary, seek out legal counsel. As important as it is to help the other person, it’s just as important to protect yourself. 

Defending your home from liability claims often means taking measures that can protect you and your family, as well as any visitors you may have. One way to protect yourself is to make sure you have ample liability insurance coverage. Find home insurance coverage options from over 50 top-rated carriers today by using Nsure.