Maggie, who has Grand Prarie, TX renters insurance, writes to us with a pretty significant concern. She writes,
My 8 year old son and his friend were playing on a swing in our backyard. My son unintentionally pushed his friend too hard and caused him to fall off the swing. His friend was pretty badly injured. Does renters insurance cover liability incurred by children?
Maggie, we’re sorry to hear about your situation, but you can probably sleep a little better after you find out the answer.
Does Renters Insurance Cover Liability From Children?
Children can create an awful lot of liability. Whether it’s breaking a neighbor’s window with a ball, or injuring another child while playing, there are some serious risks involved.
Maggie, you’ll be happy to know that generally speaking, your insurance should take care of this.
Does Renters Insurance Cover Liability Incurred By Children?
There are two important points to make here with regard to coverage for family members, specifically children. Most renters insurance policies will define the “named insured” to include that named insured, their resident spouse, and resident relatives within certain ages. The provision historically developed for two reasons. One, often only one spouse will be listed on the mortgage or deed, but both need coverage in order to be protected. It also has to do with the fact that children can’t contract and therefore, can’t be the named insured.
Does Renters Insurance Cover Liability Incurred By Children
The second thing to be aware of is that most renters insurance policies cover liability incurred by children even when intentional, but only up to certain ages. That age is often 13. Because the intentions of a child or their ability to reason through consequences of their actions can be limited, this provision carves back the coverage that would normally be removed based on the intentional acts of an insured language. Since a child can’t really commit an intentional act if they’re not likely to understand the consequences fully, it would be unreasonable to use the intentional acts provision to deny coverage for acts committed by the child.
Does Renters Insurance Cover Liability Incurred By Children?
Yes, renters insurance does cover liability incurred by children provided they meet the broad definition of “named insured”. If the damage or injury was intentional they must be younger than 13 years old. Call Effective Coverage at (800)892-4308 to discuss your renters insurance needs, and see whether your children will be covered under your renters insurance liability protection.