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
Kyung Kim
Hi, I'm Kyung Kim. I immigrated from South Korea to the United States in 1968 when I was 7 years old. I have seen my mom struggle with the English language and work hard to raise her four kids by herself. Still to this day, I don't know how she pulled it off, but she bought her first home in 1979 for $70,000 and because of that decision, she was able to live without worrying about her financial future. I want that for everyone, to feel the pride of home ownership and to build their financial wealth using real estate as part of their financial portfolio. I feel so blessed to play a small role in helping others reach this goal.
I live in Beaverton with my husband, Richard. My mom, who lived with us for several years, passed away in our home in February 2022. Her first home purchase in 1979 made it possible for her to live to the very end, without worrying about her finances. As of August 2022 with a little downpayment assistance, our four children own their own homes. Being in real estate, I quickly realized that if they didn't buy now, they may be priced out of the market in the future. Whether that would have been the case, we will never know, but what we do know is that they are all realizing some good, healthy appreciation in their home values.
As passionate as I am about people owning their homes, I'm also passionate about giving back to our community. I support Compassion First, a non-profit organization that provides aftercare for sex trafficked girls in Indonesia. My husband and I also feel called to financially support social injustice organizations.
I'd love to assist you. Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my real estate experience to work for you.
