When insuring your home, it is common to think solely about cover for your actual property, such as damage to the building or to its contents. However, as a homeowner you are legally responsible for ensuring that your property is safe for visitors, whether invited or uninvited.
In the event that somebody is injured whilst on your premises, you could be held liable for that injury if you have failed to make sure that your home is free from health and safety hazards, or at least failed to warn visitors about such hazards if there are any present whilst they are visiting.
Not only is it your friends and family that you need to consider, you also need to ensure that the same health and safety measures are taken in relation domestic workers, such as gardeners or cleaners. Despite some domestic workers having their own insurance cover, many are not required to have this and therefore your home insurance may be required to pay for any injury claim that they suffer, if you are found to be at fault. So, before you hire anybody to provide help in your home, it might be an idea to check whether they have their own insurance policy.
Your policy will also provide cover to defend any claim made against you even if you have taken care to ensure that visitors are safe. Many of us make the mistake of thinking that if we have done nothing wrong, and the claim is absolute nonsense, that we will not have any claims costs on our hands. However, if somebody makes a claim against you then there may actually be many costs involved before a decision on liability is made, such as legal fees and defence costs.
Many policies will state that accidents which happen in buildings or on land are, by law, nearly always the responsibility of the occupier (the person who lives in the building or on the land) rather than the owner.
If you do not currently have any home insurance in place, PayingTooMuch.com can help you to arrange a policy to give you peace of mind that, even if you have made your home complete fail-safe, you are protected against any claim for injury that visitors in your home may make against you.
To discuss your existing home insurance policy, or get a competitive quotation today, call 01243 219333 or visit our home insurance page.
