You Could Be Liable When Hosting a Party – How to Protect Yourself

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Summer is all about celebrations – Fourth of July festivities, BBQs, graduation parties, and large get-togethers are just around the corner. What you may not know, however, are the risks and responsibilities you are subject to if you host a party in your home and the importance of holding adequate personal liability insurance during parties at your house.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL LIABILITY: You could be legally liable for a range of incidents when throwing a party

If you are like many homeowners, you could be legally liable for a range of incidents when throwing a party, which include:

  • A guest causing an alcohol-related traffic accident after leaving your home.
  • Hired help is injured on your property due to slipping and falling.
  • A guest becoming injured on the sidewalk in front of your property.
  • Guests suffering from food poisoning due to catered food.
If any of these above situations occur, you could be held responsible for the vehicle repair costs, payment of medical bills, lost time from work, or even wrongful death, all of which result in large monetary settlements.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF LIABILITY COVERAGE
Purchasing enough liability insurance is an important step to take when planning a party. Such coverage compensates for medical payments to others and personal liability to cover legal fees – the amount a court orders your to pay in the case you are sued because a guest is injured or their property damaged.
Your regular home insurance policy will usually provide you with some liability coverage; however, you can easily find yourself in a situation where that may not be enough. This is where supplementary coverage comes in useful. Umbrella excess liability insurance can increase your coverage to $1 million or more, and is often very inexpensive compared to the amount of coverage it provides.

If you already own sufficient personal liability insurance, another good practice is to make sure your policy is up to date and includes any additions to your home such as a pool.

Finally, something else to consider is how often you thrown parties and how big they are. If you often host very large parties, it may be worth it to look into purchasing a separate event insurance policy with host liquor coverage built in

For more advice about Homeowners’ Liability coverage, contact us today. We can help you make the right decision to make sure your summer times are good ones!

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