With the warm summer weather arriving in Spokane, many of us are looking forward to enjoying our backyards with barbecues, pool parties, and fun on the trampoline. While these activities create lasting memories, they also introduce potential risks. If a guest is injured on your property, are you financially protected? Let’s take a look at how your homeowners insurance responds to common summer and backyard accidents.
How Homeowners Insurance Covers Backyard Accidents
Your standard homeowners insurance policy provides two key types of coverage that are crucial for protecting you from backyard mishaps:
Personal Liability Coverage: This is designed to protect you if a guest is injured on your property and you are found legally responsible. It can help pay for their medical expenses, lost wages, and your legal fees if you are sued. Most standard policies offer between $100,000 and $500,000 in liability coverage.
Medical Payments to Others: This coverage helps pay for smaller medical bills if a guest sustains a minor injury on your property, regardless of who is at fault. It’s a way to quickly cover costs for something like a slip by the pool or a minor burn from a grill, helping to maintain goodwill and potentially avoid a lawsuit.
Understanding “Attractive Nuisances”
Insurance companies use the term “attractive nuisance” to describe items on your property that could attract and endanger children. Swimming pools and trampolines are the most common examples. Because these items pose a higher risk, homeowners have a greater legal responsibility to secure them. This means installing safety measures like a fence with a self-latching gate around a pool or a safety net enclosure on a trampoline. Failing to do so could lead to an uncovered claim or even policy cancellation.
Common Summer Items and Insurance Rules
Not all backyard equipment is viewed the same way by insurers. It’s critical to inform your insurance agent about these items to ensure you’re properly covered.
Swimming Pools: Most carriers will cover liability related to a swimming pool, but they will almost always require that it is fenced in. Some may have restrictions on diving boards or slides due to the increased risk.
Trampolines: This is a major point of concern for insurers. Many companies will exclude any injury related to a trampoline from your liability coverage. Some may even refuse to insure a home with a trampoline altogether. Always check with your provider before purchasing one.
Fire Pits and Grills: Accidents related to fire pits and grills are typically covered under personal liability. However, if a grill fire damages your own house, that would be covered by the dwelling portion of your policy, subject to your deductible.
Playsets: Swing sets and other playsets are generally covered without issue, as long as they are well-maintained and in safe condition.
Is Your Liability Coverage Enough? Consider an Umbrella Policy
Imagine a serious accident occurs where the medical and legal bills exceed your homeowners liability limit of $300,000. In that scenario, you would be personally responsible for paying the rest. For complete peace of mind, homeowners should consider an umbrella policy.
An umbrella policy provides an extra layer of liability protection—typically $1 million or more—that kicks in after the limits of your home or auto insurance are exhausted. It’s a surprisingly affordable way to protect your assets and future earnings from a devastating lawsuit.
Review Your Backyard Coverage with Boyd Insurance Brokerage Inc.
If you’re getting your Spokane backyard ready for summer fun, it’s the perfect time to ensure your family and assets are protected. At Boyd Insurance Brokerage Inc., we can review your current homeowners policy to identify any potential gaps related to your pool, trampoline, or other backyard activities. We have the ability to shop for policies from top carriers like Progressive, Liberty Mutual, and Nationwide to find the coverage you need.
To get a quote for a comprehensive home insurance policy, contact us at 509-340-2693.
