Most homeowners will agree that at some point, someone will come to work on your house. For some people, it can be a day to day thing. There may be a gardener one day, perhaps a landscaper the next. Maybe a family has tutors or a cleaning service. There could be a housekeeper to help with the chores. If you are remodeling or building, there will be contractors, excavators, among others.
As you can see, the list of working visitors to one’s home can go up quickly. Have you thought about your homeowners policy?
Is Your Home Accident Prone?
You might be wondering why I brought up insurance after talking about people working on your house. That is because you could be held liable if anything happens to them. That’s right, you could be liable. This is because the accident happened on your property. If you have multiple people consistently working on your property, you better call your insurance agency.
You might be thinking well the contractors I hired are licensed and insured, why do I have to be liable? It is true that a company is responsible for their work, equipment, and safety. However, the responsibility falls onto the homeowner to ensure legality. In the past, contracting companies have lied to the homeowners about their license and insurance. Then regrettably an accident happens due to the company’s negligence, and the homeowners get sued. If you can prove that you were blatantly deceived or lied to by the contractors, then you might be held not liable. If the accident was caused by something you did, then you will definitely be liable.
Say for example you have painters at your house. They are on a ladder on your house, while you are out trimming trees. If you accidentally cut the wrong branch and it hits the ladder and injures the painter, you are liable. The reason for the accident will factor into responsibility. However, the homeowner is put in a tight situation no matter what.
How It Happens Is Important
As with any potential claim, it depends on the nature and cause of the accident. If the babysitter injures her knee running through the house, you might not be held liable. If they injure themselves because of a hazardous floor, however, you will likely be held liable. It is an unfortunate situation for everyone involved. The good news is that not every accident you will be held liable for. If the company you hired is licensed and insured, they will be responsible for any accidents. If they are only working on your property for a few days, you will likely not be held responsible. This is considered a temporary employee basically, and they are not usually covered. There are also a number of hours that someone has to work on your property. That will vary from policy to policy but it is usually at least over 40 hours.
Most Policies Have A Safety Net
The good news is that most homeowners insurance policies today have some sort of workers compensation coverage on their policy. The type and amount of coverage are very dependent on your policy. It is important to remember that things can vary from state to state. Do not assume that the policy you had in California, will be the same as it is in Texas. The best thing you can do is have a conversation with your insurance company. If you know you are going to have people frequenting your home to perform a service, get extra coverage.
For most people, the basic coverage will likely be enough. Play it safe, make a phone call and find out. It could save you a lot of time and money in the future.
