Avoid Holiday Claims to Your Massachusetts Homeowners Insurance
Summertime brings lots of parties and celebrations to your own backyard, but none are so exciting as the Fourth of July. Unfortunately, next to Thanksgiving, this holiday is one of the biggest days for property fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Learning how to keep your home and family safe and staying on top of your MA home insurance policy is more about common sense than anything else. Take time to go over your New Bedford home insurance with your trusted insurance companies in New Bedford, MA to ensure that you are covered for any eventuality. Massachusetts homeowners insurance is designed to cover damaged caused by things like storms, fires, and other conditions. However, if you are found to have been neglectful, your claims might not be covered.
What You Need to Know
The Fourth of July is more than just fireworks. There are other injuries and accidents that can occur easily on this holiday. Backyard barbecues, pool parties, and other types of gatherings are all ripe for situations what can result in injuries to guests, visitors, and passersby. Every year fireworks cause approximately $105 million in property damage as the result of nearly 19,500 fires in the United States. Additional injuries, to the eyes and the extremities, are also caused by sparklers, barbecues, and other celebrations that occur around this time. If a fire or injury occurs on your property, your MA home insurance policy will likely cover you. However, fireworks can be a different story, so it pays to know what to expect from your Massachusetts homeowners insurance coverage.
If fireworks are legal in your city or town and you decide to use fireworks, there are two different scenarios that can mean different approaches to your New Bedford home insurance. If a fire or injury accidentally occurs, it will usually be covered by your homeowners insurance policy. However, if a fire is intentionally set to the property and it results in damages or injuries, it will not be covered. This type of fire is considered “intentional” or “reckless,” and the damages that occur come as a direct result from the illegal or unsafe use of fireworks. If you aren’t doing fireworks, but your neighbor is, and it lands on your roof and starts a fire, their homeowners insurance policy should pay for the damage to your property. If fireworks are not legal in your area, you might still need to file a claim under your own insurance policy, as your neighbor could be denied coverage due to it being an illegal act.
How Claims Impact Your Insurance Premiums
It is also essential to understand that any time you file a claim against your MA home insurance policy, there is the potential that the premium could increase. Studies show that a single fire claim can cause the annual premium to go up by an average of $273 a year. Even liability claims have the potential to increase your rates, as a single liability claim could cause a cost rise of as much as $260. You can always check with your local insurance companies in New Bedford, MA to find out about coverage questions and considerations for things like fireworks on the Fourth of July and throughout the year. Your New Bedford home insurance agency can answer any questions you might have about your Massachusetts homeowners insurance coverage and assist you in boosting your coverage if you think you might need more.
There are lots of great safety tips out there that you can apply whenever you decide to use fireworks. Make sure to purchase consumer fireworks that are legal to buy and use where you live and read the label to follow the ignition instructions carefully. Do not allow young children to light fireworks or light them yourself while impaired. Keep pets indoors and safely away from the fireworks. If your pet is anxious whenever fireworks or storms are going off in the neighborhood, consider putting on distracting music or provide them with a safe space to reduce the impact of the sounds on their nerves. Contact Borden Insurance to talk about your MA home insurance policy or to get a free price quote for Massachusetts homeowners insurance at 508-999-3636.