John R. Wood Properties
Barry Dunleavy, John R. Wood PropertiesPhone: (239) 877-6445
Email: [email protected]

What is personal liability coverage?

by Barry Dunleavy 06/02/2024

Personal liability coverage is included in standard home insurance policies. This type of coverage protects you financially against claims from injuries and damage to other people or property.

To help explain how personal liability insurance works, here is a guide to the basics:

What does personal liability insurance cover?

Personal liability insurance is there to help you if you’re sued or found liable in court. The details can vary from one policy to the next, but here are some examples of situations included in most personal liability coverage:

  • Somebody is injured in your home or at another property you own.
  • Somebody is injured as a result of a traffic accident.
  • Property damage.
  • Certain lawsuits such as those for libel, slander or false arrest.
  • Paying court fees for lawsuits brought against you.

Some of these scenarios are normally covered by other types of insurance, like home and auto. However, the personal liability coverage is for anything beyond the limit of other policies. For example, if you’re liable for somebody’s medical bills after they’re injured on your property, it would be the amount over and above what that individual’s insurance could pay.

What does personal liability insurance not cover?

It’s crucial to know what might be excluded from your personal liability coverage. Some examples include:

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  • Bodily injury to you or another person living in your household.
  • Business-related accidents.
  • Workers compensation for your employees.
  • Damage to your own property.

For the above scenarios, there may be other specific types of coverage to help instead, such as business liability insurance. If you sustain injuries or property damage, your medical and homeowners insurance would be responsible.

Whether you need personal liability insurance is entirely up to you. If you’re not sure of the best choice, consult with a financial advisor to identify any possible sources of liability you might want coverage for.

About the Author
Author

Barry Dunleavy

Over 25 Years in the Real Estate Industry. Former Senior Managing Director with responsibility for oversight of real estate businesses in Canada and Latin America including CEO of Canadian-based bank; prior to that Sr. Managing Director Construction Financing to large residential builders throughout the USA. He has a BA and MBA in Finance. Memberships include the Naples Board of Realtors, Graduate Realtors Institute, Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, Florida Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. Community activities include New Horizons of Southwest Florida volunteer teaching math and reading to at-risk 3rd to 5th graders while being Chair of their 2016-2018 Golf Event and also involved with the Christian Businessmen's Connection. 2014 Awarded the Distinguished Volunteer for Collier County. He was a former Board of Governors of Hazeltine National Golf Club, host of the upcoming 2016 Ryder Cup Championship.