Swimming Pool Safety Tips
Photo courtesy J.Harveland
A backyard swimming pool is the perfect escape from summer’s often hot, humid weather. But having a pool means you should also have a conversation with your insurance agent about the kind of coverage you need.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were, on average, an estimated 4,900 pool-or spa-related hospital emergency department (ED)-treated submersion injuries each year for 2011 through 2013, and 390 pool or spa-related fatalities reported per year for 2009 through 2011, involving children younger than 15 years of age.
If you have a homeowner’s package policy, a renter’s package policy or a condo-owner’s package policy which provides personal liability coverage, there should be coverage available for bodily injury of someone other than residents of the insured home if they are injured while on your property including swimming, diving or sliding into your backyard swimming pool.
The personal liability coverage should cover medical costs for the injured party including emergency room, ambulance charges and follow-up medical visits.
The Insurance Information Institute recommends that pool owners consider upping their liability insurance policy limits to $300,000 or $500,000. For added protection, an umbrella policy can provide up to $1 million of liability coverage for a few hundred dollars a year.
Making sure you follow pool safety guidelines is important – for tips on how to prevent injury and accidental drowning, view the CPSC’s Pool Safely tips.
Owning a pool can be a big responsibility, but by following basic pool safety rules and having the right home insurance coverage in place, you can help ensure that your pool is a source of pleasure instead of stress.
