Lawyer Proof Your Home
Your home’s value may have gone up in the past few years, but then so has your risk of someone hurt in your home filing a lawsuit against you. And if you are a rent rather than own, sorry, but you can still be sued. Follow the steps outlined below and protect your home from….ME.
- Buy homeowners/renters insurance. This is your first and a very effective line of defense. Your homeowner’s liability insurance pays up to the amount of coverage you purchased for a variety of risks for which you could become liable. Reading the policy may seem like an overwhelming task, but at least take a look at what is covered and what is excluded. Otherwise, you may not learn until after you have a problem that pets, jet skis and all sorts of other risks are not covered by your policy. Without a good homeowner’s or renter’s policy, all of your personal assets could be at risk. Also, consider purchasing an umbrella policy which will provide liability coverage above what your underlying policy covers. For the protection an umbrella provides, it is not very expensive. Premiums are often $200 to $300 a year for $1 million or more worth of coverage. Renters insurance (which landlords increasingly require) is also appropriate and relatively inexpensive.
- Assess your existing risks. If someone slips on your doorstep and is injured, your child breaks the neighbor’s window with a baseball, a tree or limb on your property falls and crushes your neighbor’s car, the family dog bites a guest or someone is hurt playing in or around your pool, you are at risk of a lawsuit. Consider now steps you can take to minimize these risks.
- Watch out for creating new risks: For example, remodeling your home can create all kinds of potential hazards. Make sure your contractor is licensed and the work permitted. When buying a new pet, make sure the appropriate signs are posted and insurance policies are updated (realize that insurance polices increasingly refuse to cover certain pets)
If you have any questions about your homeowners’ insurance or your risks, feel free to contact me at 813-877-3253 or e-mail me at dappell@wefightforjustice.com.