Accidents happen when new homes are being built, remodeled or repaired. Accidents also happen when yards are not kept properly and visitors step in holes hidden by grass, trip on cracked sidewalks and driveways, trip on toys or other items left on the ground and are injured due to many other situations. Adults and children injured by the negligence of homeowners have a legal claim against the homeowner and their homeowners insurance.
Many people do not know that most homeowners carry homeowners insurance and fail to make a claim when they are injured in the home or on the property owned by an individual. In addition to these types of injuries, homeowners insurance also covers the acts of homeowners away from home. Negligence in using skateboards, roller skates, bicycles, trampolines and just about every type of injury resulting from situations involving the ownership of a home are covered. There is property damage coverage and liability coverage — the same as the liability coverage for automobiles.
Some of the most common homeowner and residential claims include:
- Slip- or trip-and-fall hazards — holes under the lawn, cracks in sidewalks and driveways
- Defective toys or leaving toys laying around
- Playground equipment — trampolines, bicycles, skateboards, ATVs, motorcycles
- Swimming pools and hot tubs
- Dog bites
- Vehicle accidents near a residence
- Burns and fires
- Construction or remodeling accidents
- Assault and battery
- Other criminal conduct by a homeowner or their children
- Theft and burglary
Everyone knows that you can make a claim against the insurance of someone who is at fault in an automobile accident. Homeowners insurance is just like auto insurance except that it pays when a homeowner is at fault. Do not make the mistake of not checking with a lawyer after an injury at a residence. Most people are surprised that homeowners insurance covers these types of claims.
Homeowners have a legal duty to protect visitors from injury. Most homeowners have purchased homeowners insurance to pay for medical bills, lost wages, disability, pain and suffering and all other legal personal injury damages.
Ogletree, Abbott, Clay & Reed, L.L.P., welcomes your questions about any injury, disease or death. It costs nothing for you to ask a question either by telephone, email or by our Live Chat feature. The communication can be anonymous and will always be confidential. Please contact us at 713-223-1234 or via email.
