As you probably already know, your Honesdale, Pennsylvania home insurance policy provides broad coverage for the contents inside your home. Almost all of your personal items are covered under the standard contents portion of your policy, but, antique items and other items of high-value that you may own, may not be covered, or only covered for a fraction of what they are worth.

In order to protect your very valuable items, you can buy additional insurance for those specific named items. Riders are available for your antiques, fur coats, your original Salvador Dali painting, and other high-value items. As a homeowner, you must tell your Pennsylvania insurance company that you want to buy extra coverage to protect your expensive items.

Your insurance company will insure your antiques, but not without substantial proof of the value of those antique items. You will normally need to get an appraisal. The appraiser must be someone who’s expert opinion is accepted by the insurance company. You can’t get your Uncle Sal to say that he examined your antique vase and determined it was from the Ming Dynasty and worth $25,000 and expect the bank to insure that vase for $25,000. The appraisal has to be creditable.

Even if you get an appraisal on an antique, your insurance company may choose not to insure it for its full appraised value. They may just not want to assume that amount of risk. Another thing to watch out for is when you can collect on a claim. Some insurance companies will only cover damage and lost items, but not loss from theft. You can add a provision to make sure your insurer covers all contingencies.

If you have the proper riders on your homeowner policy, your insurance company should pay the full insured value on a covered loss. If you have any questions about insuring your antiques or other valuable items, please give us a call and an independent agent will be happy to explain the type of coverage you need.

If someone slips down the stairs inside your Milford, Pennsylvania home and gets hurt, you, as the homeowner, may be held liable for the medical bills and other related charges associated with the incident. A visitor to your home is covered under the liability section of your homeowner’s policy.

Even someone who has not been invited to your home is covered if they have a legal right to be on your property. If your mailman walks up to your Honesdale, Pennsylvania house to deliver the mail and takes a great fall on an ice-covered path, he is covered if his fall results in personal injury.

Your homeowner’s liability insurance covers not only the dwelling and other structures, but also patios, decks, and the property that everything sits on. If someone is walking in the yard of your Dunmore home and a large branch falls on his head, your homeowner liability insurance will cover that incident.

Liability insurance also extends to property that belongs to others. If someone parks their car in your driveway and your kid throws a baseball through the passenger-side window, as the parent of the child, you are responsible for the damage. You can file a claim with your homeowner insurance company and your insurance company may pay for the cost to replace the window.

While your homeowner policy will cover most incidents that result in physical to property damage to another individual when they are on your property, there are exceptions. As strange as it sounds, there have been many cases where an intruder gets hurt in the commission of a crime and attempts to sue the homeowner. Neither you nor your insurance company is liable if someone is injured on your property while committing an illegal act.

In order for someone to be covered under your homeowners insurance policy if they slip on your property, they must actually be injured and there must be some form of negligence that caused that person to slip and fall. It could be a wet floor, a loose step or a misplaced skateboard. There is no liability if someone just stumbles over his or her own feet and takes a nosedive into the dirt.

For more information about what is or is not covered by your homeowner’s liability policy, please give us a call and talk to an independent agent.

Building a new home in Dunmore, Pennsylvania may be an exciting venture, but it is also important to obtain an appropriate amount of homeowner’s insurance to protect your property and finances throughout the project. When a house is under construction, it is essential that you obtain liability protection in case an accident occurs.

Liability on a Policy

A homeowner’s policy is designed to protect your property and your finances. A key part of the policy is liability protection, which will prevent high-cost medical bills from draining your savings account.

The way liability works is simple. The insurance will pay for injuries that occur on your property. If a friend or family member is injured during a visit to the construction site, then you are covered against possible damages and expenses.

Protection against Theft and Damages

A standard homeowner’s insurance policy will offer more than just liability protection. It may also help protect against the theft of construction supplies while the building is being constructed and it may offer some protection for any damages that occur during the construction.

Although the policy may protect against the theft of supplies, it will not protect your personal belongings until the house is complete and you are able to lock the doors. The reason is because your personal belongings should not be on the property until after your house is built to avoid the risk of damages and thefts.

It is important to have some form of homeowner’s insurance when you are building a new home. Even if your property is under construction, there is always a risk of liability concerns, the theft of supplies or damage to the building while it is still a work in progress. To learn more about protecting your home, contact us to talk to an independent agent.