It’s Here! Holiday Safety Tips
The holiday season is upon us and while that usually means family and friends getting together to eat, drink and be merry, it can also lead to fires, food poisoning and even car accidents. You can ultimately be responsible for medical costs and find yourself the target of a lawsuit if disaster strikes.
Luckily, in most cases, your homeowners insurance will help cover the cost of most holiday disasters. Dwelling coverage will help repair or rebuild your home if a holiday fire breaks out and the liability portion of a policy will cover medical bills and the cost of a lawsuit up to your policy limits.
Let’s have a quick look at some common holiday disasters and how your homeowners policy can help out.
Thanksgiving and Christmas Can Be Dangerous
Thanksgiving is always a dangerous day for fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for home cooking fires and the day before Thanksgiving comes in second. Lets not forget about Christmas Day, it is the third busiest day when it comes to home cooking fires.
Data from the U.S Fire Administration show that on average there are 2,400 residential building fires on Thanksgiving Day every year. These fires result in an average of 5 deaths, 25 injuries and over $19 million in property damage.
On Thanksgiving, one of the biggest causes of fires is the turkey fryer. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says that since 2002 there have been 672 injuries related to turkey fryers and over $8 million in property damage.
Turkey Fryers are responsible for roughly 1,000 emergency fire calls every year and cause about $15 million in damage according to NFPA data. The video below show exactly what can happen if you fail to follow turkey fryer safety precautions.
Here are a few tips for frying a turkey from the NFPA:
- Always use a turkey fryer outdoors on a flat surface. Place it away from structures, wooden decks, and covered patios. Never use a fryer in your garage
- Have a fire extinguisher nearby and know how to use it
- Never leave the fryer unattended
- Make sure the turkey is completely thawed before putting in the oil
- Always keep children and pets away from the fryer
Christmas can be even more deadly if you are not careful with your Christmas tree. NFPA data shows that between 2011-2015, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 200 home fires that started with Christmas trees per year. On average these fires caused 6 deaths, 16 injuries and over $14.8 million in property damage.
Christmas tree fires tend to be more deadly than Thanksgiving fires as one of every 32 home fires that started with a Christmas tree resulted in a death. In 26% of the Christmas tree fires and in 80% of the deaths, some type of heat source, such as a candle or equipment, was too close to the tree.
The NFPA offers the following safety tips when it comes to Christmas trees:
Placement of the tree
- Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 2″ from the base of the trunk
- Make sure the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights
- Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit
- Add water to the tree stand. Be sure to add water daily
Lighting the tree
- Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use
- Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Read manufacturer’s instructions for number of light strands to connect
- Never use lit candles to decorate the tree
- Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed
Homeowners Insurance and Holiday Issues
If you end up burning your house (or garage, shed or other outbuilding) down with a turkey fryer or Christmas tree lights the dwelling coverage of your insurance policy will end up paying out to repair or rebuild your home.
Fire is always a covered peril on a homeowners policy but it will only cover damages to the policy limits so always make sure your have enough dwelling coverage to rebuild your home at current building prices. Check with your agent to make sure you are carrying enough coverage.
Dwelling extends to your garage, sheds and any other outbuildings on the property.
Holiday Parties Bring Liability Issues
If you are planning a holiday party you should be aware that there are liability issues if you end up giving your guests food poisoning or send your guests out on the road after too many drinks.
You may end up being responsible for medical bills, repair bills or even find yourself on the wrong end of a lawsuit, all of which can be very expensive if you are not properly protected.
When it comes to food poisoning and medical bills, the liability portion of your homeowners policy should help cover these costs up to your policy limits. This coverage will also cover lost wages and any pain and suffering that is due to food poisoning.
If your guests decide to sue, the liability portion of your policy will cover the cost of your defense as well as any damage awards that come out of the lawsuit if you lose, up to your policy limits.
Liability not only protects you against holiday disasters, it will also cover:
- Medical expenses of people who are hurt at your home or on your property
- Damage you cause to a neighbor’s property
- Legal fees if you are sued and any resulting judgments, up to your policy limits
The majority of standard homeowner policies come with $100,000 in liability coverage but most experts recommend upping that coverage to $300,000 or more if you have a large amount of assets. Liability coverage tends to be fairly cheap so upping your coverage is usually pretty affordable.
Your liability coverage should kick in if you over serve a guest and then let them get into their car and drive away. U.S. Department of Transportation statistics show that from 2012 to 2016, roughly 800 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday period. This makes it the deadliest holiday for auto accidents, beating out Christmas and New Years as well as the 4thof July.
If you let a visibly impaired guest drive, you may be held responsible if they are in a car accident or manage to run over a neighborhood mailbox. In this case, your liability coverage should come to the rescue and cover medical bills as well as any lawsuits or settlements.
Poisoning a guest or sending them out on the road after drinking too much are not the only issue that can come up during a holiday party. Slips, falls and even dog bites can result in medical bills and lawsuits. Always make sure the sidewalk and driveway are clear of ice or snow, consider de-cluttering your home to minimize falls and put pets away if there is any chance of a bite or scratch.