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Car accident work compensation
18 Mar, 2024
Car accident work compensation is available to individuals who suffered a car accident while on company time. However, there are some situations in which you may be disqualified from receiving compensation.
DBA Insurance Calculation
12 Mar, 2024
DBA insurance calculation can help clarify the value of your Defense Base Act insurance claim.
04 Mar, 2024
Say you have a few friends over at your home and someone slips and falls, breaking their leg. The friend in question is now left with a hefty medical bill. In such a situation, it’s completely natural to wonder if a homeowners insurance claim will help cover the injury. The thing is, a standard home insurance policy may include coverage for personal injury, but there are plenty of requirements and exclusions you need to be aware of. Personal liability coverage basics Most people purchase homeowners insurance coverage to protect their homes from damage. If any damage caused by a covered peril occurs to the property, the policy will cover the repairs up to the predefined limits. Moreover, a standard policy covers additional living expenses, personal belongings, and limited liability protection. Liability protection found in most insurance policies protects homeowners and policyholders in cases of lawsuits involving property damage or bodily injury that happens on their properties. For instance, your pet hurts a person or a guest falls and suffers an injury. Generally speaking, the liability is noticeably lower than the limits applying to your home’s structure, starting around $100k. Liability coverage exclusions So, can you file a homeowners insurance claim if you or someone in your household is injured? Sadly, no. Bodily injury claims are only covered if they involve a third party. If you suffer an injury, your insurance policy probably won’t cover the damages. The same thing applies when a family member is hurt. Criminal and intentional acts are excluded, and in some cases, so are animal bites. While standard policies often provide coverage for animal bites or property damage, certain types of pets and breeds of dogs are excluded. This usually applies to exotic pets and breeds considered to be dangerous, such as Pit Bulls and Dobermans. Lastly, some injuries won’t be covered because they require separate insurance policies, such as car accident injuries that take place on your property. You should also carry commercial insurance coverage if you utilize your home for commercial purposes. Does homeowners insurance cover medical bills? Homeowners insurance policies can also cover medical expenses for third parties to circumvent a lawsuit. Since legal proceedings are often expensive and overly lengthy, settling meddling costs without court involvement is beneficial to all parties. Plus, using this coverage eliminates the requirement of proving fault and speeds up the process considerably. Keep in mind that the limit for medical bill coverage is much lower than your overall liability limit. It can amount to just $5k. Though this isn’t much, it can help cover minor injuries without having to resort to a full-on legal claim. What to do if someone sues you for personal injury? When someone files a legal claim against you to recover damages, you need to start cooperating with your insurer immediately. Most insurance policies have strict requirements on prompt reporting, which means failure to comply with these rules may leave you without coverage. It’s also important to collect any evidence you can, including documentation, eyewitness testimony, and photographs. Doing so will greatly help you defend your case. For example, someone may claim your negligence caused their injury. You should gather and present evidence to refute these claims by demonstrating that the plaintiff’s reckless behavior caused the event. Are personal injury lawsuits common with homeowners insurance? Here is some good news: chances are that you’ll never have to deal with a homeowners insurance claim for personal injury. Out of all insurance claims, liability claims only represent about 2.8% . This includes property damage, defamation, and personal injury claims. While the chances of being sued are minuscule, they’re never zero. Worst of all, they can be quite expensive, especially when you account for medical bills that can cost several thousands of dollars. Mind you, the expenses come without including compensation for lost wages and pain and suffering. How can you get more liability coverage? As we briefly mentioned, homeowners insurance policies are limited. With most insurers, you only get $100k for liability coverage, which may not be enough to cover the cost of a lawsuit, particularly if the injury is serious. In the worst case scenario, you may end up being sued for an amount exceeding your policy limits, meaning you’ll have to pay the difference out of pocket. This could jeopardize your personal assets, saving accounts, and your overall financial wellbeing. To protect your funds, you should look for ways to increase the amount of your personal liability coverage. The easiest way to achieve this is to negotiate a new liability limit with your insurer. There is a small downside - your insurance premiums will skyrocket. Still, it may be worth it as you will gain some extra protection in case of a lawsuit. Otherwise, you can acquire an umbrella insurance policy that raises the limits on different insurance policies, such as auto or homeowners insurance. If all else fails, you can also purchase a separate liability insurance policy. Most insurance companies will provide you with a solid plan, so there’s no need to worry. Do note that most governmental FAIR (Fair Access To Insurance Requirements) either don’t include this coverage in their policy or offer low limits that are borderline laughable. Make sure you’re adequately protected Injuries can be expensive to treat, so if someone suffers an accident on your property, you may be required to cover all costs of treatment and other damages like lost wages and pain and suffering. This is why you should check your homeowners insurance policy to confirm whether you’re properly protected. If not, you may need to purchase extended liability insurance coverage to eliminate the hassle of paying for injuries on your property out of pocket. But what if you’re the one who was injured? In such a scenario, suing someone (even if they’re a close friend) is your legal right. You may not like the idea of taking their hard-earned money, but if the other person has liability coverage, they won’t need to pay you out of their pocket. As such, liability coverage also provides the plaintiff with the peace of mind that they’re not hurting another individual financially. Note: The information in this blog post is for reference only and not legal advice. As such, you should not make legal decisions based on the information in this blog post. Moreover, there is no lawyer-client relationship resulting from this blog post, nor should any such relationship be implied. If you need legal counsel, please consult a lawyer licensed to practice in your jurisdiction.
26 Feb, 2024
If you’re in the process of negotiating a contract with the US government related to overseas work, you need to learn as much as you can about the Defense Base Act and what does DBA insurance cover.
19 Feb, 2024
A nursing home abuse lawsuit can help you recover compensation for your loved one’s suffering while also holding the facility and staff accountable for their actions.
what is neglect in a nursing home and which actions
12 Feb, 2024
Many people wonder what is neglect in a nursing home and which actions are valid grounds for a nursing home negligence lawsuit against the facility.
Suing a nursing home for negligence
05 Feb, 2024
Suing a nursing home for negligence is not an easy endeavor - here’s how to know if you have a case at all and how long does a nursing home lawsuit take.
Calculating Pain And Suffering
29 Jan, 2024
Calculating pain and suffering isn’t easy as attorneys and insurance often leverage certain techniques to quantify the non-economic damages.
catastrophic injury
22 Jan, 2024
A catastrophic injury can change the trajectory of your life. As such, you should seek the full amount of damages.
who can sue for wrongful death
15 Jan, 2024
If you lost a family member in an accident caused by someone else, learning who can sue for wrongful death is critical.
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