Halloween Homeowners Insurance Horrors

It's that time of the year with ghosts and goblins, Michael Jackson's Thriller, Elvira, and candy overdoses. Halloween is all fun and games until a trick-or-treater trips and knocks over your jack-o-lantern and sets your front porch on fire. 

Fortunately, most homeowners insurance policies cover these common Halloween home mishaps:

Halloween Home Horrors

• Tricksters damage your home. Standard homeowner policies cover vandalism, such as dents in your siding caused by eggs thrown at your home, when repair costs exceed your deductible.
• Candles or decorations cause a fire. A fire started by a Halloween candle or a string of lights will be covered. If the fire makes your home unlivable, your homeowners policy will pay your living expenses while you wait for repairs.
• A trick-or-treater gets hurt on your property. Injuries to visitors and party guests are covered by the homeowner liability portion of your policy. The injured person files a claim with your insurer.

If everything on this list of Halloween home horrors occurred, and you exceeded your policy limits, your umbrella insurance policy would kick in — if you have one.

To make your property safe for Halloween, here are some recommendations:

• Remove or limit tripping hazards from pumpkins, decorations, extension cords, or anything in your front yard that a person could trip over.
• Turn on your outdoor lighting, so kids can see where they’re going.
• Use battery-powered lights in your jack-o-lanterns instead of candles.
• Pets, candles, and trick-or-treaters don’t mix. Keep pets away from the front door on Halloween.
• Look for safety certifications on your decorative lights.

When zombies, ghosts, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles storm your front door this year, don’t fear! Follow these protections, and if things do still go awry, your homeowners insurance will protect you.

 Have an insurance claim that has become an absolute horror? Contact our office, we'd love to help.