Do You Have The Personal Liability Insurance You Need?

There is a widespread assumption that only those who are wealthy and have business interests need to worry about personal liability issues. The reality is very different. Society has become increasingly litigious, and you could suddenly be faced with a liability claim that could bankrupt you.

From a visitor’s suffering an injury in your home to serious but unintentional damages you could have caused – the areas of what a person may be held liable for keep expanding rapidly. Your homeowners insurance and auto insurance may provide you with some degree of liability protection; however, this must be clearly mentioned in the policy.

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The eligibility should not be taken for granted. It is advisable to contact an insurance professional to check on the amount of liability coverage you currently have.

A common mistake

A common mistake people often make is to presume that their current assets are not enough to warrant paying for liability insurance. The problem is that if a liability claim against you is upheld, you may lose part or all of your savings, investments, home, other property and so on.

Moreover, your future earnings may be garnished and assets may be impacted. Personal liability insurance protects you when you are at fault. Furthermore, your coverage will pay for your legal defense, in case you are falsely accused of an injury or loss.

How big is the risk?

The risk is greater than you may presume. It is an old truism that “most accidents occur at home.” To put that into perspective, the National Safety Council says that in 2013, one in sixteen persons suffered an injury at home that required specialist medical treatment.

If that one person happens to be a visitor in your home, you would be liable to pay for the accident.  Looking at it from a different angle, one in fifteen homes has an injury-related insurance claim each year.

Customer attitude is a major reason why the issue of personal liability coverage is ignored more often than not, or the coverage that may exist is too low to safeguard against a crisis. For instance, when buying a car or home, your focus is primarily on damage or loss; the liability aspect is rarely given the thought it deserves.

Liability could arise anytime from anywhere. For example, suppose that your child hits a ball in a game that flies through an open car window; the driver ducks the ball, loses control and suffers an accident; the liability could be massive, although it was inadvertently caused.

Protect what you have

A liability claim upheld against you could wreak havoc on your life. A reliable protection is in the form of personal liability insurance.  Liability is a complex legal matter and that is the reason why you hear about a very large number of court cases.

Personal liability insurance too is a complex matter. It is important to have the right amount of personal liability coverage; it is equally so to know what your coverage includes and excludes. The best person who can help you get the right coverage is an experienced insurance agent.