Homeowners Insurance Doesn’t Cover Everything
Saginaw, Flint, Traverse City, and Lansing, Michigan

Those who rent or own a home are wise if they are insured. Homeowners or renters insurance covers personal items damaged, lost, stolen, or destroyed on the premises. There are different kinds of coverage depending on the level of insurance you get, so policies may vary. In addition to actual physical items, most homeowners or renters insurance policies can protect you from a liability lawsuit in the event that someone is injured on your property or another person’s property is damaged.

Homeowners insurance typically covers:

• Structure of your home, including detached structures like garages, gazebos, and tool sheds
• Personal belongings such as furniture, clothing, and other personal items
• Liability for bodily injury or property damage caused by you or your family to others, and will also pay for damages caused by your pets
• Additional costs of living due to living away from your home in the event of storm, fire, or other disasters

Boats, Personal Watercraft, and Snowmobiles

What homeowners or renters insurance does not cover are vehicles such as snowmobiles or personal watercraft. Boats may be covered minimally, but only if they were destroyed inside a building and not running in any form. Although they may be covered in some events, they may not cover theft.

Many homeowners or those renting property believe that because their snowmobile, personal watercraft, or boat was destroyed on their property, then their property insurance will cover it. Unfortunately, many discover these things are gone for good because of the assumption of coverage.

Another pitfall of this is that if you use any of these vehicles for business, the insurance company could deny your entire claim if you store the vehicle in the garage. This is because the insurance company only has to prove that your garage was used for business purposes and not simply storing it.

Each of these types of vehicles should be covered by their own unique policy. Even if your homeowners insurance covers your boat, the amount may be too little to make much difference when the repair bill comes.

Homeowners Insurance and Medical Payment Provisions

For those hurt in your home, or away from your home by you, your household members, or your pets, medical payments will pay the medical bills up to S1000. However, home medical payments do not cover injuries to you or those living with you. They also do not cover injuries sustained during in-home business activities.

Simply having homeowners or renters insurance will cover you from serious events, but only within reason. While you may consider your boat, personal watercraft, or snowmobile personal property that is automatically covered since it is stored at your home, insurance agencies will not. You may even consider you and your family covered by homeowners or renters insurance in the event you are injured in the home. Again, this is not the way the insurance companies operate. Paying the premiums and monthly fees may cover you from some things, but it does not cover everything.

Contact you insurance agency to discuss what types of events are and are not covered by your premiums.

If you live in the Flint, Saginaw, Lansing or Traverse City, Michigan area and need legal advice regarding your homeowners or renters insurance, please contact the experienced attorneys at Jay Trucks & Associates, PC for an initial consultation.

Lawyers for the Injured
Jay Trucks & Associates, PC
Experienced - Dedicated - Compassionate