My Trampoline Flew Into My Neighbor's House

Many Texans love to create an oasis in their backyard. I know that my wife and I have done a lot to create that extra living space right outside our door. Smart home technology has made it even easier to make your back patio ooze your fandom of that college football team that you love, and the streaming television technology makes it even easier to enjoy the games in that little piece of heaven. But if you are a true Texan, there are three things that your backyard must have!

True Texas homeowners have three things in their backyards.

1. Swimming Pool
2. BBQ Equipment
3. Trampoline

What they may not consider are the implications that their pool or trampoline has on their Ft Worth Home Insurance. The truth of the matter is that those items can positively change the way the homeowners insurance companies see the risk of your home. And that change in their eyes will absolutely change the price, and possibly even the coverage of your homeowners insurance policy. Pools need fences to keep folks out, starting a fire in your backyard always comes with a chance of badness, and trampolines are considered an attractive nuisance.

Beyond the obvious risks that you think of with your backyard fun, trampolines can create other liability claims beyond a trampoline injury that creates medical bills for a visitor. The big thunderstorms that we get places like Waco and Lubbock can produce flying things other than hail. Big wind means that items from your home or yard can go flying through the air like a frisbee. And while it's unlikely that your smoker pit will go flying, trampolines are an entirely different matter when that wind kicks up. Especially if you haven't taken property safety precautions to properly secure them to the ground!

What Happens If My Trampoline Flies Into My Neighbors House During A Storm?

The home insurance companies that Insurance For Texans work with can help with this potential liability claim against your insurance coverage. If someone gets hurt, determining liability is much easier to determine than when a trampoline becomes a UFO during a windstorm. When looking at who is responsible for the clean up of this situation along with damage to someone else's house, it really comes down to a matter of liability.

If there is no damage to the other house, just clean up your dang trampoline!

If any damage done to a fence or other item is a few hundred dollars, it will be below a deductible and should be cleaned up yourself!

So what's this talk about liability with respect to trampoline coverage? When assigning responsibility for damage to the owner of the flying trampoline, we must consider if the cause of the flight phase is a result of negligence. The coverage for trampolines will come down to whether or not you were diligent in the installation of your giant Frisbee. If you had your trampoline secured to the ground properly so that becoming dislodged during a normal storm, it will be tough to assign liability of the damage to you for trampoline-related claims.

Let's face it, no matter how secure these items are, when the winds get large enough even homes and trees go flying. So it's tough to assign liability in that case. But if you left your trampoline in your backyard with only a single, small bungee cord attached to one leg as an attempt to hold it down, it is fairly likely that you will be found negligent. And if you are negligent, the insurance carrier can be responsible for damage up to the liability limits of your home policy. If that occurs, your personal liability coverage from your Amarillo homeowners insurance policy will need to kick in to protect you from paying out of pocket for damage?

How Do I Protect Myself?

There are a couple of things that Austin homeowners should do to properly protect themselves from loss if they feel that they need a trampoline in the backyard.

1. Tie Down Your Equipment - this is the single biggest mistake we see made. You need to secure the equipment not just due to the flying ability of the trampoline, but also because it is a safety measure that makes them safer for the users. There is inherent risk here and you can minimize the risk of a liability claim by doing this!
2. Carry Maximum Personal Liability Coverage - typically speaking moving your personal liability policy limits from $100,000 or to $500,000 in coverage will cost you a dollar or two a month. If your trampoline goes flying, and you are on the hook, you want to make sure that the problem can be rectified without needing a second (or third) mortgage on your home. Don't try to save a dollar a month and open yourself up to a nightmare.
3. Have An Personal Umbrella Policy - families find financial protection from weird events using an umbrella policy. Insurance professionals around Texas help families layer on additional personal liability coverage of $1,000,000 or more that works beyond their homeowners or renters insurance policy. This keeps your financial safety in mind while also having a minimal affect your insurance rates.

These three simple steps can make the difference between an ugly lawsuit and being a great neighbor with all of the cool toys. If you have questions or aren't sure where you stand on this front, speak with a local independent insurance agent at Insurance For Texans today so that you can sleep at night. Our highly trained insurance  professionals can help you navigate the complex waters of your backyard with ease. We love your insurance questions and want to help you.

Call us at 469.789.0220 or click that blue button to make sure that you have TRUE Texas Home Insurance that protects you from a flying trampoline.