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What protects you when you fall on your friend’s entryway?

On Behalf of | May 3, 2022 | Personal Injury

When you head over to visit a friend, you expect to socialize with them, not to suffer some kind of serious injury. Unfortunately, either because of bad luck or possibly inadequate property maintenance, you could get hurt right on the front stoop of your friend’s home. You might fall down the stairs and suffer a broken bone or even a concussion that causes a traumatic brain injury.

When you go to your doctor or the hospital for treatment, your health insurance policy might decline to cover you because you got hurt on someone else’s property. Even if you explain to medical professionals about the circumstances leading to your injury, you could still be subject to a deductible of thousands of dollars or co-insurance that requires that you pay a flat percentage of your total care costs.

If the injury is serious, you could miss days or even weeks of work, putting you behind on your bills. You may be in a position to make a claim against your friend’s insurance coverage.

Homeowner’s insurance and renter’s insurance can help

Property insurance provides several important forms of protection. People can make a claim for storm damage or the consequences of criminal activity, like the sect of their personal belongings. Homeowner’s insurance also protects the property owner from the liability they have for anyone visiting their property.

Coverage can pay for lost wages, hospital bills and property damage losses if you ruined a pair of designer shoes or smashed your phone when you fell. Typically, homeowner’s insurance policies will include thousands of dollars of premises liability coverage, which will often be enough to pay for mild to moderate injuries.

What if there isn’t insurance or you have extreme expenses?

Some people don’t carry insurance on their property or their rented home. Others carry insurance but only the minimum required by their mortgage company. It’s possible that you could suffer an injury that will leave you permanently unable to work or only able to earn reduced wages while also causing thousands of dollars in medical expenses.

In such scenarios, you may be able to bring a personal injury lawsuit against the other party, although doing so will likely damage your relationship. Attempting an insurance claim first is often the preferred strategy for those who know the person who owns the property where they got hurt. Learning more about premises liability claims can help you defray the costs you incurred because you got hurt.