Will My Homeowners Insurance Cover Me for Falling on My Property?

If you have the right coverage, your homeowners insurance protects you when someone else gets hurt on your property. The coverage can protect you if your dog bites the mailman, or if your friend slips and falls on a patch of ice. Homeowners insurance does not, however, provide coverage if you are injured on your own property.

Medical Payments Coverage

Medical payments coverage on homeowners insurance is a specific type of coverage that pays for the medical bills of guests or other people that you invite on to your property. Generally, medical payments coverage has a fairly low limit when compared to personal liability or other coverages. The coverage is intended to cover relatively small bills from minor injuries, regardless of whose fault the injury is.

Personal Liability

Personal liability coverage has higher coverage limits than medical payments, and generally covers an injury or other damages when you are clearly at fault, or when a condition of the property causes the injury or damage, such as a broken or snow-covered step that causes a fall. Personal liability coverage does not cover you or your immediate family members. It provides coverage for others.

Your Health Insurance

If you slip on your own property, you will need to turn to your health insurance coverage in order to pay the resulting medical bills. Health insurance covers you for sickness or accident, wherever you are. If another property owner may have liability for your injury, your health insurance company will often investigate to determine if it should seek to recover money from that person's insurance company. However, this option is not available with your own homeowners insurance.

Other Coverages

Although homeowners insurance is most known for its coverage against fire or other damage to your home, it offers other valuable protections as well. Your personal liability coverage also includes coverage for you wherever you are in the world. For example, if you are playing golf and hit another player with a drive gone astray, your homeowners insurance would cover the other person's medical bills. Personal liability coverage from a homeowners policy does not, however, cover any activities with motor vehicles. You need to seek coverage for these situations from your automobile insurer.