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Filing a Liability Claim with Homeowner’s Insurance

Get Help from Kent A. Bennett Associates Inc. with a HOI Liability Claim

Filing a liability claim with homeowner’s insurance (HOI) doesn’t have to be intimidating. This month, the Kent. A. Bennett Associates Inc. blog is about the HOI liability claims process. Liability coverage with HOI pays for injured parties’ expenses related to incidents that occur on your property. These expenses include medical bills, lost wages, and legal costs, to name a few.

How to go about filing a liability claim with your HOI varies from company to company. However, in general, the liability claims process includes:

 

  • Getting an official report to document the liability-related incident
  • Deciding to file a claim when you make notification to your HOI provider
  • Possibly needing to consult an attorney

First, Get an Official Report to Document the Liability-Related Incident

You can’t file a liability claim with your HOI without an official report. If a visitor on your property suffers an injury or illness related to the visit, document the illness or injury. This means either taking the visitor to an Emergency Room or the visitor seeing a doctor. Should the visitor not seek medical attention for the illness or injury, try another way to document an official report. It’s also possible the doctor examining the visitor’s illness or injury will send the official report directly to your HOI.

Next, File a Claim When You Make Notification to Your HOI Provider

After documenting the injury or illness in an official report, immediately make notification to your HOI. Your HOI can help you decide if you need to file a claim. If the incident-related  expenses don’t add up to more than your deductible, you probably won’t need to file a claim. If you do file a claim, HOI companies usually have specific phone numbers for that.

You may also be able to file a claim on the HOI company’s website or via their app. Upon your notification, the HOI provider will want copies of the ER’s or doctor’s official report to file a claim. When you make notification to file a claim, you’ll also have to include:

 

  • A description of the place, time, and how the incident happened
  • The names and addresses of the injured person and any witnesses
  • Descriptions or pictures of property damage caused by the incident

Finally, You Could Consult an Attorney About a Potential Civil Lawsuit

Hopefully, if you file a claim, you’ll suffer nothing more than your HOI paying for medical expenses, maybe lost wages. If, however, the injured party decides to file a civil lawsuit, you should consult an attorney. We also recommend you consult an attorney even if you suspect the injured party might eventually file a civil lawsuit.

For more information about insurance, call Kent A. Bennett Associates Inc. at (800) 548-9119. Follow us on Facebook for updates. We are happy to discuss more about filing a liability claim with homeowner’s insurance.