The nice weather is here. It’s officially in-season to be hosting parties in your backyard. Whether it’s a small BBQ, your child’s grad party, or even a wedding make sure your home insurance is enough to cover you. Whenever you host your risk for accidents happening goes up a little higher. The more people you have on your property, the more you are inviting accidents; it’s a numbers game. If you add alcohol to the mix, that will also increase your risk for accidents occurring.
How big is your risk for accidents occurring at your party? Take a look at some common issues that occur at events and what you can do to protect yourself on the insurance front:
Backyard Accidents & Insurance
A guest simply slipping and falling can quickly go from a minor thing to a huge issue. If there’s an injury you may have to pay medical payments and potential lawsuits. Luckily, your home insurance offers you coverage for scenarios like this. However, in the event that liquor will be served at your party, consider getting liquor liability coverage for the day to help cover any alcohol related issues.
If your yard is a playground of sorts this will also increase your risk for the party. I’m sure everyone is even more excited to attend a party at your place when you have a a pool or trampoline, but these things increase the risk for accidents. If you have either one of these things in your yard, be sure your insurance agent and carrier are aware of them. It must be listed on your policy you have a pool and/or trampoline. In the event that it is not listed and an accident occurs related to those things, your insurance company will not be able to help with the costs. The same goes for your dog. If you have lied to your insurance agent about your dog breed and the dog bites someone, your insurance carrier can refuse to help you pay.
Alcohol & Insurance
There are two scenarios when it comes to insurance coverage for alcohol on your property. The first is if you are serving alcohol and the second is if you are having a bartender that will be serving alcohol. If you will be having a bartender, be sure you ask them about their coverage. Do they have enough liability to deal with potential accidents and issues? They should and any reputable company will be happy to answer insurance questions and even show proof of insurance if you request it.
If you are the one serving alcohol, you may want to look into liquor liability coverage for your event. This is something you may be able to obtain specifically for that day to help cover you in the event of a variety of issues.
The number one thing you should do while serving alcohol is be sure that no one is driving intoxicated. Aside from the obvious that this could result in major injuries and even death, it can also result in a lawsuit for you. Because it was your event and you were serving you could be held liable for the accident and other subsequent issues. Keep this in mind when serving guests. Recommend guests have a designated driver or call for an Uber or cab.
Food Incidents & Insurance
What if someone gets sick due to the food you are serving at your backyard party? This is yet another incident that could result in health issues and lawsuits. Be sure that you have enough liability with your home insurance coverage. If you have the maximum liability with your home insurance coverage, but still worry ask your insurance agent about an umbrella insurance policy.
Vendors & Insurance
Bands? Photographers? What else will your BBQ, grad party or wedding have to offer? Whenever you use a vendor for any kind of event it’s important you ask them important insurance questions. If their equipment is damaged they should have enough insurance coverage to repair or replace it. That shouldn’t be something you have to worry about. If your vendors don’t have the right insurance in place, you don’t want to end up having to carry the insurance burden. Always ask questions!
Making sure you have enough insurance when hosting a backyard party at your home is essential. While we covered a lot of areas of concern above, if you have questions call your agent. They will be able to answer questions specifically knowing your personal coverage.