In the field of personal injury law, people file claims when they’re injured in accidents that were someone else’s fault. Such claims refer to injuries sustained on our roads, at businesses, hotels, amusement parks, on surgeon’s tables, in dental offices, at nursing homes, etc. But what about private residences? Can people file personal injury claims for injuries that occur at other people’s homes? After all, people get injured on private property every day.
When people are injured at private residences, it’s typical for them to file a personal injury claim. However, such claims are not usually filed directly against the homeowner, but rather against an insurance policy, referring to their homeowners’ insurance.
What is Homeowners’ Insurance?
Homeowners’ insurance can help a homeowner pay to replace or repair their home and its contents if they are damaged under certain circumstances, such as theft or fire. It can also help cover the costs if a homeowner accidentally damages someone else’s property or if a visitor is injured at the person’s home – this is typically called “liability coverage or protection.”
It is standard for homeowner’s insurance policies to provide liability coverage, which provides compensation when someone who doesn’t live with the homeowner is injured while on their property. For example, suppose a neighbor trips on torn carpeting on a step and falls down the stairs and breaks their hip and sustains a traumatic brain injury. The bodily injury liability coverage would help the homeowner cover the resulting medical bills and legal fees associated with the accident if they’re determined to be liable.
Common types of accidents at private homes include:
- Dog bites and attacks
- Swimming pool accidents
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Sexual assaults
- Trampoline injuries
- Burns
- Cuts and sprains
- Choking
- Poisoning
To learn more about accidents in homes, we recommend reading, “5 Common Home Accidents and How to Prevent Them” by St. Luke’s University Health Network.