{"id":1561,"date":"2024-03-18T22:40:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T22:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southern.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/?p=1561"},"modified":"2024-03-15T22:41:02","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T22:41:02","slug":"what-is-family-liability-protection-on-homeowners-insurance-in-georgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southern.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/homeowners-insurance\/what-is-family-liability-protection-on-homeowners-insurance-in-georgia\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Family Liability Protection on Homeowners Insurance in Georgia?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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You have to pay attention to many details while buying your home and one of the most important is your new home insurance policy. Your policy is intended to make sure you have the financial resources available to protect this important investment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One important part of your <\/span>homeowners insurance policy<\/span><\/a> is known as family liability protection. What is it, and why do you need it?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Basics of Family Liability Protection in Homeowners Insurance<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

To understand what family liability protection means in your policy, you want to first get a handle on the basics. Liability insurance protects your finances when you are found to be at fault for someone\u2019s injuries or damages \u2014 or when you\u2019re sued, even if you don\u2019t think the actions are your fault.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, liability in <\/span>car insurance<\/span><\/a> helps pays for your legal costs, injuries to other parties, and damage to the property of others (up to your coverage limits), when you\u2019re found to be at fault in a car crash.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Family liability protection on your Georgia homeowners insurance policy is <\/span>one of several lesser-known insurance benefits<\/span><\/a> since it tends to take a backseat to the features that help you rebuild your home after a fire, for example. If actions you or other family members take (or don\u2019t take) cause injuries to others or damage to their property, your coverage helps pay for your legal costs and for the losses of that other party.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This coverage can go by other names, including homeowners liability, personal liability, or Georgia family liability.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Need for Liability Coverage in Home Life<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

We can all make mistakes that might impact others. When you\u2019re part of a family, the likelihood of that happening increases simply because there are more of you. And some of those mistakes could prove to be costly to those living on either side or behind your home \u2014 or visiting.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just the humans in the family that can get into this kind of trouble. Even the family pet can cause injuries or property damage. Yes, even the family dog might be covered in this liability protection benefit of your home insurance plan. (More on this later.)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But how much damage could the little ones cost? More than you might think. Your kids are perfect angels, but if a home run hit from a backyard ballgame takes out a neighbor\u2019s window, then you\u2019re responsible. Fortunately, you have family liability protection on your homeowners policy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Want more examples of how everyday life can result in unintentional damage or injury to others? Read on.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Delving Deeper: What Family Liability Protection Covers<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Are there trees on your property? If so, have you scrutinized each one of them to make sure the limbs are all healthy and strong? Probably not \u2014 right? But what if one of those limbs drops onto your next-door neighbor\u2019s garage and goes through their roof? <\/span>Does Georgia\u2019s homeowners insurance cover damage to your neighbor\u2019s property<\/span><\/a>?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another example of the need for family liability protection. Georgia doesn\u2019t get much snow, but when it does fall, we\u2019re often caught totally unprepared. What if you didn\u2019t clear the sidewalk in front of your home because it didn\u2019t seem cold enough to ice over? But you find out that that\u2019s exactly what happened when you hear sirens wail and see the ambulance pull up in front of your home.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your elderly neighbor gets taken to the ER with a broken hip after a nasty fall in cold weather. Her family sues you for medical bills and related issues. It could be tens of thousands of dollars in medical and legal bills. Where will you get that kind of money?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Now let\u2019s address family gatherings during the holidays. Thanksgiving dinner is at your house this year. Uncle Fred gets a wee bit too celebratory with the sherry and takes a rather impressive tumble down your stairs. He\u2019s family, so he\u2019s not likely to sue you and your loved ones, but you know he can\u2019t afford the hefty hospital bills for treatment, and he doesn\u2019t have enough medical insurance either. In this case, you might encourage your insurance company to extend your liability policy settlement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One final example: your normally gentle dog escapes its leash during a walk in the neighborhood, gets stressed out, and bites a jogger who\u2019s just trying to keep your pooch from running into the street. This happens seven blocks from your home, but you\u2019re covered if your dog is on your policy. (Not all breeds are covered. Read on for more on this topic.)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In all of these cases, the Georgia family liability portion of your homeowners insurance coverage would likely offer financial benefits up to your coverage limits.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This protection can be critical to your bottom line, even if you don\u2019t feel you\u2019re at fault for the injury or damage that occurred. If you\u2019re sued, you\u2019ll need to get a lawyer \u2014 and they don\u2019t come cheap.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding Personal Liability Inside and Outside the Home<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Remember that example we gave earlier in this post about the Georgia farmer with no neighbors to bother or accidentally damage or injure? Well, even if you\u2019re that family farm, you probably at least occasionally have guests over. Or strangers stop in your driveway to ask for directions. Or your kids entertain when you\u2019re not at home. Or the dog runs wild and bites someone in town.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The point is, that personal liability is an issue both inside and outside your home. That means your Georgia family liability coverage is critical no matter where you live in the Peach State. You could suffer the same punch to your wallet whether you own a home in metro Atlanta or one on 100 acres just outside of Sylvester.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Importance of Knowing Your Exclusions<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

In the insurance world, an exclusion describes what\u2019s <\/span>not<\/span><\/i> covered in your policy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If the \u201caccident\u201d wasn\u2019t so accidental, you may be on your own. Remember that example of your kids accidentally hitting a home run right through the neighbor\u2019s plate glass window? Covered! Unless \u2026 the little darlings did it on purpose.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say one teammate bet your son that he couldn\u2019t hit the window with one strong-arm toss. Your son took the challenge because even he didn\u2019t think he could. Good news: he won the bet. The rest of the news isn\u2019t quite so positive. Your family liability protection plan won\u2019t pay for the deliberate damage to someone else\u2019s property, so the cost of the neighbor\u2019s window repair will come out of your kid\u2019s allowance forever.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s also an important policy exclusion involving dog bites. Certain breeds are excluded from coverage in Georgia because of the higher risk that they will bite someone. Excluded breeds include rottweilers, pit bulls, and even some that you wouldn\u2019t expect to find on that list. It warrants a discussion with your homeowners insurance agent to see whether Fido is \u201cin\u201d or \u201cout.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, keep in mind the purpose of liability insurance. It\u2019s primarily for the benefit of the <\/span>other<\/span><\/i> party when your actions cause damage or injury.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, in the example of the tree limb falling on the neighbor\u2019s garage, your liability settlement would handle the cost of fixing and reshingling that roof. But if that same tree falls on your garage roof, you won\u2019t receive liability benefits. (Of course, the accident will likely be covered by the structural coverage benefit of your homeowners policy.)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One final point here: even if it\u2019s <\/span>not covered in your standard Georgia homeowners policy<\/span><\/a>, you can often add coverage at an additional cost. This is yet another subject to raise with your homeowners insurance agent.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How Much Coverage Is Adequate?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

In Georgia, most homeowners insurance policies <\/span>carry at least $100,000 in family liability protection<\/span><\/a>. However, many individuals buy additional coverage for a total of $300,000, or even $500,000 or more, for ultimate financial protection.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your level of Georgia liability coverage should depend on your income, net worth, and assets. In other words, the more you stand to lose in a lawsuit, the more family liability protection coverage you should have.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Find Affordable Home Insurance with Liability Benefits in Georgia Today\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n
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If you\u2019re in the market for a home, finding affordable homeowners insurance is already on your ever-expanding to-do list. If your meeting is with an independent insurance agent, you\u2019re likely to find the best rates on especially great coverage. That\u2019s because independent agents have business relationships with multiple major insurance companies and can shop and compare the cost of competing policies.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if you already have a homeowners policy, your independent agent can review your policy and help you determine if you have an adequate level of family liability protection.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At Southern Harvest, we offer highly experienced and knowledgeable independent homeowners insurance agents to serve you. Just call us at <\/span>(877) 831-4677<\/span><\/a>. If it\u2019s easier, <\/span>stop in at a nearby Southern Harvest office<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>get a quick quote online<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However you reach out, we\u2019ll help you protect your family finances.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n