Pools are incredibly popular this time of year. It makes sense. A combination of warm, sunny weather and no school calls for people to spend their afternoons outdoors, either socializing by the pool or lounging in it. What’s the only problem with this? Pools can be dangerous. Each year, the number of almost-and accidental drownings seems to be rising, along with the popularity of these backyard swimming spots. In order to make sure that you’re covered in case of a liable injury or worse, it’s important to check your homeowner’s insurance coverage.
Common Pool Accidents
What makes pools somewhat dangerous? There’s a combination of things, like slippery pool decks, water that’s more than a few feet deep, and unsecured pool spaces that can lead to accidents, drownings, and worse. For example, someone diving into a pool that isn’t deep enough can hit their head on the bottom, leading to an emergency situation. People can slip off of wet pool ladders or get injured when leaping off of the diving board. Even worse, there are far too many stories in the news of what happens when a young child accesses an unsecured pool. It only takes a minute for something bad to happen, and when they occur in your pool, you could be found liable.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Pool Injuries?
Your homeowner’s insurance may not cover pool injuries. These policies are mostly designed to pay for damage to the pool and its surroundings, such as damaged tiles by uprooted trees or cracks in the pool basin itself due to extreme weather events. A homeowner’s insurance policy doesn’t always provide adequate coverage for things that you might be liable for, like pool-related injuries.
Instead, you’ll need a liability insurance policy that has enough coverage to pay for medical bills and other things caused by a pool accident. There are specialty pool policies available as well. In order to see what’s covered and what isn’t, you’ll need to check your insurance policies and reach out to your insurance agent. Your HOA may demand specific policies and coverage amounts as well.
Situations That Could Affect Coverage
Of course, there are always factors that can hurt your coverage, lead to higher premiums, or cause an outright denial of insurance coverage. Things like not properly maintaining the pool, allowing children in the vicinity of the pool unsupervised, not properly fencing in your pool, and other similar issues and lead to a coverage denial.
Note that if you rent out your pool for parties, your insurance may not cover any problems that occur during one of these gatherings. You’ll need a business policy or something similar.
Contact Spivey Insurance
Your pool can be both enjoyable and safe, as long as you have the right insurance in place. If you’re wondering whether or not you have enough coverage to take care of potential pool accidents in your backyard, contact Spivey Insurance. Our knowledgeable agents can answer your questions and help you find the right policy for your pool-related needs.