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Will Homeowner’s Insurance Cover Injuries from Working on a Home?

A man calculating his house expenses.

People are not always so well-versed in what homeowners insurance will and will not cover. A homeowner’s insurance policy might cover a lot more than you expected, but there are large gaps in the different types of homeowners insurance policies available. The situation’s circumstances surrounding the accident and the injury will ultimately determine if you can obtain coverage for your injuries.

Your homeowner’s insurance adjuster would ask about who owns the home, what was happening during the accident if it was possibly intentional, and much more. It’s always difficult talking to adjusters, so you might consider calling a personal injury attorney first. If you were injured and now have a fair amount of medical debt, then calling an experienced Cincinnati personal injury attorney isn’t unreasonable. You’re just making sure that someone involved in this whole process has your best interest in mind.

What Will Homeowners Liability Insurance Cover for Me?

If you are the homeowner, you should not expect homeowners’ insurance to cover anything for you. Come over as insurance offers protection for the house, the house’s belongings, and liability protection for the homeowner. It does not offer coverage for the homeowner in the event of injury.

If you were helping your next-door neighbor with a bit of painting, and fell off a ladder, then their homeowner’s insurance would cover you under visitors’ liability.

Everything with homeowners’ liability insurance comes down to the details of the accident. If the insurance adjuster believes that the fall was intentional, you may have a long battle ahead of you. Homeowners insurance providers are well known for battling liability claims extensively.

Home Projects

Home projects are becoming more common as good weather and a lack of work have given people a ton of time with good conditions. Most home projects can be completed without the use of a contractor, or bringing in a professional crew.

However, doing a home project is one of the fastest ways to send up red flags for your homeowner’s insurance claim. Helping a friend, family member, or neighbor, with a home project may seem completely normal. It is. Unfortunately for many homeowners, insurance providers believe that homeowners should call out a professional crew for every home project. They do this because a professional contractor will come with their own insurance.

What if the Project Required a Contractor?

Professional contractors and companies that conduct home repairs and projects should have insurance to cover themselves, their employees, and their equipment. That means that if any of their workers are hurt while working on your home, you don’t have to stress about them filing a claim against you.

Now, if you were helping someone with a project that required a contractor, you might hit a hitch in your claim. For example, if you were helping someone redo part of their plumbing network, and were injured working well with a pipe, you should still get coverage for the injuries. But the fact that the homeowner should have hired a contractor is going to delay the entire process. Additionally, you may have to fight for compensation if the homeowner claims they believed you were properly licensed and insured.

Understanding Injuries

Most injuries that go through a homeowner’s insurance liability involve slipping or tripping. However, falling, stumbling, and in-turn yourself on objects come up frequently as well. But these don’t sound like your injuries, and then the insurance provider may choose to take a closer look at your claim.

You may need to work with your medical team and your legal counsel to explain exactly how your injuries came from the accident. Additionally, you may need to show that past injuries didn’t affect your current medical state. One of the most common ways that homeowners insurance providers battle these claims is to state that the injury existed before the accident.

Should You Call a Personal Injury Attorney in Cincy?

Personal injury attorneys throughout Cincinnati handle a huge variety of cases. From slip and falls to personal injuries in homes, or in commercial buildings. If you were hurt working on the house, then it falls into the personal injury umbrella. The big question is, was it your home? Then there are follow up questions. What’s the injury avoidable, or could it be seen as intentional? Were you qualified to take on this kind of project, or should a contractor have been involved?

The trouble is that most people don’t feel comfortable answering these questions because they aren’t sure how to answer them correctly. Working with a personal injury attorney at Young, Reverman, and Mazzei helps you address the insurance adjuster’s questions and negotiate for your settlement.

Jay A. Bolotin is a partner at the injury law firm of Young, Reverman & Bolotin. Serving the people of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, Jay dedicates his career to helping clients in the tri-state area obtain financial compensation after suffering serious injuries. He focuses his practice on cases involving car accidents, trucking accidents, dog bites and animal attacks, and other types of personal injury incidents.

Years of Experience: More than 25 years
Registration Status:: Active
Bar Admissions: Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Cincinati Bar Association