{"id":434,"date":"2019-03-15T00:37:50","date_gmt":"2019-03-15T05:37:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.policyadvocate.com\/?p=434"},"modified":"2019-03-15T00:37:50","modified_gmt":"2019-03-15T05:37:50","slug":"understanding-your-homeowners-insurance-policy-liability-coverage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fire.h50.us\/~morganpolicy\/blog\/understanding-your-homeowners-insurance-policy-liability-coverage\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Your Homeowners Insurance Policy: Liability Coverage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Under Section II of a standard homeowners policy, your insurance company will cover your liability to third-persons for certain bodily injury or property damage claims. Simply put, if someone sues or threatens to sue you, your insurance company may reimburse you for damages you paid to the third-party claimant or the cost of defending the lawsuit. This blog takes an in-depth look into the personal liability section of your homeowners policy.<\/p>\n

The Insuring Clause<\/h3>\n

Section II of a typical homeowners policy contains a provision whereby your insurance company agrees to defend and indemnify you for damages you become liable to pay a third-party for certain \u201cbodily injury\u201d or \u201cproperty damage\u201d that results from an \u201coccurrence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Standard homeowners policies have specific definitions for \u201cbodily injury,\u201d \u201cproperty damage,\u201d and \u201coccurrence.\u201d Policies typically define \u201cbodily injury\u201d to mean physical harms to a person\u2019s body, while \u201cproperty damage\u201d is defined as physical damage to tangible property. An \u201coccurrence\u201d is typically defined as an \u201caccident.\u201d Thus, any bodily injury or property damage the insured intentionally causes is not covered.<\/p>\n

The Duty to Defend<\/h3>\n

An insurer agrees to defend the policyholder against injury and property damage claims a third-party files against them. This means that the insurer will pay for an attorney to defend their insured against such third-party claims. If an insurance company fails to defend the policyholder, it breaches its duty to defend. An insurer\u2019s breach of their duty to defend the policyholder constitutes \u201cbad faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

Medical Payments Coverage<\/h3>\n

Under Section II – Liability coverage, the insurance company agrees to pay the insured for a third-party\u2019s necessary medical expenses which arise from bodily injury caused by an occurrence. Such medical expenses are covered if incurred within 3 years after the date of the occurrence causing the associated bodily injury.<\/p>\n

Medical Payments Coverage includes:<\/strong><\/p>\n