Using Homeowner’s Insurance For Slip & Fall Accidents
The last thing you want when you have a visitor or worker in your home is an injury accident, but it does happen. When someone experiences a slip and fall accident at your home, who is responsible for paying the bills? If you are taken to court, do you pay the expenses and settlement or does your home owner’s insurance? The homeowners in Philadelphia need to understand how this process works so they can make good decisions if they ever experience a home accident.
How Do Slip And Fall Accidents In The Home Occur?
Every homeowner in the Philadelphia area is required to maintain their home so that it is safe for visitors and other invited guests. In some instances, even uninvited guests have the right to expect a home that is safe from slip and fall accidents. The most common types of areas where slip and fall accidents occur in the home are stairways, sidewalks, hallways, and exposed wooden floors.
When Is The Homeowner Negligent?
If a homeowner knew there was a spill on their slick kitchen floor and did nothing about it, then the resulting slip and fall accident would be considered the fault of the homeowner. When a homeowner should reasonably know about a potential slip and fall area and does nothing to correct the problem, then the homeowner is generally negligent for any injuries.
But if the homeowner cannot be expected to know about a problem (for example, someone spilled a drink and then slipped in it without the homeowner being told there was a spill), then the homeowner is generally not negligent.
Will Homeowner’s Insurance Cover My Losses?
There is a part of your home owner’s insurance called liability that will cover events such as slip and fall accidents. Liability covers a wide range of issues and will pay for everything from legal costs to any kind of settlement you have to pay. The majority of Philadelphia homeowners have liability coverage up to $100,000.00, which should more than cover your legal costs and settlement payout.
What If My Liability Coverage Is Not Enough?
If the Pennsylvania civil courts find that you are responsible for more than $100,000.00 in damages and legal fees, then the excess will have to come out of your pocket. These are the instances where people lose their homes over a preventable home accident.
What Process Should I Follow?
If you do experience a slip and fall accident in your home, the first thing you should do is call your insurance company to file a claim. If you try to hide information from your insurance company, then you are only damaging your own case. The best approach is to be completely honest with your insurance company and provide all of the information the company requires. You should also make a file folder for yourself to keep your notes and any correspondence involving the incident.
After you talk to your insurance company, you should contract the services of an experienced slip and fall attorney. No matter how the case turns out, the chances are very good that you will require an attorney’s help at some point. It is best to get an attorney involved early in the process and have a legal expert on your side for the entire case.
Your home owner’s insurance is set up to help protect you financially from a slip and fall claim made against you for a home accident. It is always best, to be honest with everyone you talk to throughout the entire process and make sure you have a good lawyer on your side as well.
