Will renters insurance pay for an injury in your home?

Renters insurance can offer you a lot of protection in the event of a disaster. But will it also help cover you if someone suffers an injury while at your house?

You may know that your landlord also has insurance. It will not cover your personal losses in the event of a fire or other disaster, which is why you have renters insurance. Still, you may wonder if it provides liability protection. And if both insurance policies cover injuries, who will pay?

LIABILITY COVERAGE

Your policy should come with liability coverage. It will provide protection against injuries sustained within your rental that you have the legal obligation to cover. The policy should provide coverage for medical claims and for other damage claims of the injured party. You should review your policy to understand what types of coverage you have. You may consider making changes if you do not have proper liability coverage.

FAULT

Not every injury situation will be your fault or your liability. If the person suffers an injury outside your rental area, then the landlord would be responsible. If the injury occurs due to a maintenance issue that your landlord has been negligent in repairing, then your landlord likely will be liable. However, if the injury is a result of something you have done, such as someone falling due to a loose rug, then you would be liable.

The good news is that in an accident situation, your insurer should investigate the situation and fight on your behalf against invalid claims. If there is a disagreement over which insurance is liable, your company should take care of that as well, but ultimately you are personally liable, so you should ensure you are included in all negotiations and discussions.