{"id":1354,"date":"2025-03-24T15:30:36","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T15:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/?p=1354"},"modified":"2025-03-24T15:30:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T15:30:38","slug":"home-liability-coverage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/home-liability-coverage\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ins and Outs of Liability Coverage in Home Insurance\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You know that your homeowners insurance policy<\/a> protects your very significant investment. If you experience fire, burglary, weather damage, or a host of other unexpected calamities, you can file a claim for the damages inflicted on your residence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what do you know about the home liability insurance portion of your homeowners policy? In the right situation, it could do a world of good to your finances and sense of security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Navigating the Shield of Personal Liability Home Insurance<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Liability is only one of the ways your homeowners insurance policy covers<\/a> your home and your family\u2019s finances. Also known as personal liability home insurance, it covers other people \u2014 not you or your family members \u2014 who are affected by incidents for which the homeowners are determined to be at fault. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In such cases, your home liability policy will cover your legal bills and personal injury costs up to your deductible and coverage limits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your deductible is the amount you agree to pay for the incident before your carrier pays the rest. The higher the deductible you accept, the less you\u2019ll pay for your homeowners premium since your insurer will be responsible for a lower dollar amount. Coverage limits are the maximum dollar amount that the policy covers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Accidental Incidents Your Personal Liability Home Insurance Covers<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFault\u201d is an important factor when determining whether a home liability insurance claim is justified. If the legal system determines that you\u2019re at fault for an injury or damage to someone else, you may have a claim \u2013 even if the incident happens away from home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, your homeowners insurance company is aware you have a dog because you told them when you bought the policy. At the dog park one day, your furry family member is startled by a child who suddenly grabs him and he bites the child. It\u2019s a traumatic moment for all involved and the child\u2019s parents sue you for a variety of things, including medical bills and pain and suffering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your personal liability coverage will kick in to help pay the child\u2019s medical costs, as well as any court costs and damages awarded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In another classic example, your Aunt Edna is visiting for the annual Thanksgiving get-together. After a couple of glasses of wine, she slips on a toy your child left on the stairs and breaks her leg. Although she doesn\u2019t want to come after you for her medical costs, if she files with her insurance company, they will attempt to get reparation from you and your insurance company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exclusions in Coverage: When You\u2019re Not Protected<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, your personal liability coverage is for the benefit of others, not for yourself or others who live in the covered home. If you fall on your stairs, your home insurance liability will not cover your medical bills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember the element of fault? Your personal liability coverage would not cover damages that occurred because a healthy tree limb fell in tornado winds or as the result of another natural disaster<\/a> since most insurance companies would classify this as an \u201cact of God\u201d and not negligence on your part.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Calculating Your Needs: How Much Coverage Is Sufficient?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Consider the value of your home and your financial vulnerabilities. If your net worth is high, you might be sued for a higher amount. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, consider the risk of injuring others based on your location. If you live in a rural setting miles from neighbors, and you rarely have visitors, that risk might be much smaller than if you owned a townhome in the middle of a densely populated city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you own dogs? Depending on the breed, you might have to pay extra for personal liability for home insurance. That could be the case if your insurance underwriters determine that your dog is likelier than dogs of another breed to bite and injure others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to figure out how much personal liability home protection you should purchase is by discussing your situation with your agent. By asking the right questions, your agent should be able to help you set coverage limits that best protect your bottom line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When to Update or Upgrade Your Personal Liability Coverage<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What has recently changed about your home or property? When change occurs, you should inform your agent and see if it might impact your personal liability coverage limits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, if you install an outdoor pool, you should definitely review your policy. The same is true if you install playground equipment in your backyard. In both examples, your kids\u2019 friends or other neighborhood children could visit and get injured. Even if they trespass, you could still be held liable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might also need to upgrade this portion of your policy if you have a dog breed that is at a heightened risk of biting or attacking others<\/a>. If in doubt \u2014 contact your agent! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get a Home Insurance Quote from Acceptance<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although it\u2019s an important benefit, there are many more aspects to your homeowners policy. Ask your independent Acceptance Insurance agent to answer all your questions and debunk the myths about homeowners insurance<\/a>. Your agent can then shop for the coverage option that\u2019s best for your home and family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Acceptance agent can find you the best deals on the most affordable homeowners policy. As an independent agent, they have contractual relationships with several name-brand insurance carriers. That means your agent can always bring you the most competitive deal at any one time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just call us at (877) 405-7102<\/a> or get a quick cost quote online<\/a>. You can also find an Acceptance Insurance office near you<\/a> so you can learn more about personal liability home insurance and the line that\u2019s best for your family and your bottom line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAQs: Demystifying Liability Home Insurance Coverage<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are answers to several of the questions most typically asked on the topic of personal liability coverage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Personal Liability Insurance Mandatory for Homeowners?<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not legally, though it\u2019s a standard element of most homeowners policies. And even though the law doesn\u2019t typically demand personal liability, your mortgage company probably will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, it\u2019s in your lender\u2019s best interest that you not be sued for such a high amount that you can no longer afford to make your house payments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Type of Injuries Does Liability Home Insurance Typically Cover?<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Injuries to others \u2014 not to you or family members \u2014 due to the neglect or fault of the homeowners. Therefore, a dog bite to a passerby from your high-risk breed would be covered, but it would not handle a fallen tree limb due to hurricane winds (your standard policy benefits would likely pay for those damages). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can I Get Personal Liability Home Insurance for Injuries Caused by My Pet?<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes! And this is particularly important if you own a breed of dog known for its aggression or one that\u2019s easily stressed in the presence of visitors. Keep in mind that your aggressive pet can still be a danger to others even if you keep it restrained on your property at all times. It could get away briefly or attack visitors to your home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the Difference Between \u2018Per Occurrence\u2019 and Aggregate Limits in Liability Coverage?<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Both terms pertain to the maximum dollar limits on our coverage. Per occurrence refers to the maximum dollar amount you can seek on every single claim. Aggregate limits refer to the total dollar value allowed on all claims within a designated period of time \u2014 usually a year. Either method might be used, depending on your policy. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You know that your homeowners insurance policy protects your very significant investment. If you experience fire, burglary, weather damage, or a host of other unexpected calamities, you can file a claim for the damages inflicted on your residence.  But what do you know about the home liability insurance portion of your homeowners policy? In the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1356,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,18],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1354"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1354"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1357,"href":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1354\/revisions\/1357"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acceptanceinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}