By Wade Thomas, Farmers Insurance Agent
1. How do things like trampolines and swimming pools affect my homeowner’s insurance?
First, I do not think that it can be argued the trampolines and swimming pools are not fun…. they are! But with that fun comes a whole lot of responsibility.
Let us take trampolines for example…
Trampolines cause about 100,000 injuries every year. Between 2002 and 2011, more than 1 million people landed in emergency rooms with injuries related to trampoline use. Almost 300,000 of the injuries included broken bones.
Children under 16 suffer nearly 93 percent of fractures related to trampolines.
Three-quarters of trampoline injuries happen as more than one person jumps. In most cases, smaller children bear the greatest likelihood of injury when multiple people jump at the same time. And about a fifth of trampoline spinal-cord injuries happen as multiple jumpers collide as they attempt stunts or fall from the trampoline.
Approximately 15 percent of injuries on trampolines happen to children younger than 6, and young children constitute up to 37 percent of patients evaluated in emergency rooms after trampoline accidents. Research has found that young children have the highest risk of serious injury — including spine and leg fractures.
One in 200 injuries leads to permanent neurological damage. Strains, contusions and sprains stand as the most common injuries, with nearly 40 percent of all injuries resulting from falls from the trampoline.
Among trampoline injuries treated in emergency rooms, 4 percent result in a hospital stay.
More than 95 percent of fractures happen at home. Medical authorities advise against any home use of trampolines.
Source: LinkedIn Attorney EverettSanderson
Your insurance company will most like rate or (charge you more) for this because of the increase risk of bodily harm not only to you and your family but to visitors, passersby, and uninvited trespass. If they can even sell you insurance.
Swimming pools are an attractive nuisance.
In the insurance industry, swimming pools are the most often cited example of an “attractive nuisance.” USLegal explains that an attractive nuisance is anything that might attract a child and pose a danger to the unsupervised child. Examples of attractive nuisances include trampolines, farm equipment, man-made ponds, and, of course, swimming pools.
Homeowners are responsible for taking reasonable measures to protect naive children from the potential danger posed by an attractive nuisance. For homeowners with pools, reasonable measures may include installing a(n):
• fence around the perimeter of the pool
• automatic safety cover
• solid or mesh safety cover
• posting a sign
• providing accessible safety equipment
Sometimes mediation measures like a fence can help you get insurance but will still (most likely) cost you more.
2. Are there things you should know before purchasing a home with either a trampoline or a swimming pool?
One thing to know about owning a pool or trampoline is that (what happen in on or around your pool or trampoline or pool is more times than not your responsibility. financially that is. liability is with the homeowner and the homeowner’s insurance. Unless you sign an exclusion, form which frees the insurance company from responsibility. How ever that leave you on the hook for any law suites arising from accidents and injuries on your property.
3. If you already have one or both in your backyard, what should you tell your insurance agent?
Be honest with your agent and they will work with you to make sure that your coverage and any necessary precautions ie. A fence or a cover are in place to make sure that if something terrible happens you are protected.
