Does Your Home Insurance Cover Someone Falling on Your Deck?

Does Your Home Insurance Cover Someone Falling on Your Deck?

Providing a safe place for visitors to arrive at your home is important. If you invite guests to your home to relax on your patio, they expect to be safe doing so.

Accidents can occur anywhere. If you have ample home insurance, however, you might not have to worry about those risks. The insurance can help cover many losses individuals have. There are limitations to this type of policy, however. It helps to know what your coverage is before you invite friends or family to your home.

Slips and Falls

One of the most common types of home insurance claims is that of a slip and fall. Individuals can fall for many reasons. Let’s say someone falls on your deck outside. They may trip over a loose board. They may slip because of ice. They may stumble because a child left a toy on the steps. These types of incidents happen often, even if you don’t intend them to occur.

If the affected individual has medical bills or suffers other losses, you may be responsible for those costs. Your home insurance’s liability coverage is likely to step in and cover these types of claims. This coverage applies to situations where the accident occurred unexpectedly and was unpreventable. If that occurs, and your policy is in place, you can often file a claim.

When Does Insurance Not Cover Falls?

Let’s say someone comes to your home. They step onto your deck and fall through it. They break their leg in the fall. The cause of the accident here is a weak structure. You did not maintain the deck. You did not repair the broken pieces.

If you did not maintain your deck, and they fell as a result, you may be legally responsible for the losses. However, your home insurance may not provide coverage to you. It does not provide coverage for incidents that occur as a result of poor maintenance and upkeep. This is why it is very important to maintain your home.

If someone falls at your home, call your insurance agent. Describe what happened. When possible, take pictures. Connect the individual with your home insurance agent. He or she will help to process your claim if one arises. If there are situations where the damage is due to lack of maintenance, be sure to correct the problem right away. The sooner you take action to prevent these types of accidents, the less likely it is you will suffer loss from them.