What is civil liability insurance for home & pets?

As Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” famously said “There´s no place like home” and I’m sure this rings true for most people who see home as their personal haven, a place to feel safe and secure. But did you know that most accidents actually happen at home? From tripping on a loose carpet to accidentally leaving the stove on, there are numerous unforeseen circumstances that can occur, potentially leading to harm or damage to not only yourself and your home, but also to other people and/or their property. 

This is where Civil Liability Insurance steps in, providing a safety net for homeowners and pet owners alike. This article aims to shed light on what Civil Liability Insurance is and the importance of it, helping you navigate the complexities of safeguarding your home and pets. 

What is Civil Liability Insurance?

In terms of the basic dictionary definition, civil liability refers to “the legal responsibility of paying money for damages to another person's health, business or property”. It is the legal concept that holds individuals accountable for their actions, ensuring that victims of accidents or negligence are compensated for their losses. 

Therefore, Civil liability insurance is the legal safeguard you can contract through an insurance policy to help you cover the costs of a civil claim for damages that could be made by a third party in the event of an unfortunate accident related to your home or your pets. 

This means that if you accidentally cause harm or damage to someone else or their property, your insurance can help cover the costs, protecting you from potential financial burden of paying damages and the associated legal costs of reconciling the claim. Therefore, ensuring you have civil liability insurance cover is a crucial part of managing risks and ensuring peace of mind in our daily lives.  

What does Civil Liability Insurance cover for your home? 

When it comes to your home, civil liability insurance covers a wide range of incidents. Here are a few examples:

• Property Damage: If you accidentally break a window while moving furniture, your civil liability insurance could cover the repair costs.
• Bodily Injury: If a guest slips on a wet kitchen floor, or trips over a carpet and falls down the stairs and injures themselves, your insurance could cover their medical expenses.
• Damage to neighbours’ property: If have a water leak, such as a burst pipe which causes damage to the property below, or an accidental fire in your home also causes smoke or fire damage to an adjoining property, your insurance could cover the repair costs.
• Damage to Third party property: If a branch from a tree in your garden falls and damages a passerby’s car, your insurance could cover the repair costs.

What does Civil Liability Insurance cover for pets?

In the same way, although pets are a source of joy, they can also be unpredictable and cause accidents which you may be liable for. Civil liability insurance provides coverage for incidents involving your pets such as:

• Property Damage: If your pet accidentally damages someone else's property, your insurance could cover the costs. For example, if your dog chews a friend's expensive rug, or knocks over an antique vase, your insurance could step in.
• Bodily Injury: If your pet jumps up on someone and knocks them over, causing injuries, your insurance could cover the medical expenses.

Obviously, each insurance company and their defined policies have their own inclusions and exclusions and it can be difficult to know what events are covered. It is vital to speak to your insurance company and to read the small print of your specific policy to understand the eventualities that will or will not be covered.

What Caser insurance policies include civil liability coverage? 

If you are looking for reliable cover, Caser Expat insurance offers a choice of 2 home insurance policies which are tailored to your personal needs – Hogar Esencial, Hogar Integral and Hogar Prestigio. All 3 policies automatically include civil liability cover to guarantee that you and your family are protected against third party grievances, and as Caser see pets as part of the family, their actions and liabilities are also covered within the home insurance civil liability policy. Another benefit of Caser policies is that they also cover accidents caused by household employees that you may have working in your property, such as a nanny or cleaner.

Does civil liability insurance cover the legal costs incurred?

You will be pleased to hear that, yes, civil liability insurance typically covers legal costs. If a policyholder is found to be at fault, the insurance can cover legal costs, including the cost of defence and any settlements that arise out of the civil lawsuit. In terms of Caser insurance, the legal costs including court fees are included in the policy and their home insurance policies also bear the cost of legal representation if you require a lawyer to help you with the claim or allegations. But as already stated above, it is wise to investigate the level of cover that is included in any specific policy that you may have at the time of contracting the policy so there are no nasty surprises in the event of an incident. It may be that you can add additional legal cover to your insurance policy to ensure you have adequate cover for legal representation and associated costs.

Are there any exclusions that I need to be aware of?

There are some circumstances that would not be covered by civil liability insurance, and again these can vary depending on the level of policy you have, however, to give you an idea…here are some areas that may not be covered:

• Non-compliance with current regulations. If you suffer a leak but the damage is caused by poor quality non-compliant materials or building work.
• Damage caused in the pursuit of a profession or service within your home.
• Damage caused to the belongings of third parties left in your possession, for example, if your neighbour loans you a laptop to carry out a task and you break it.
• Civil Liability of potentially dangerous animals.
• Malicious acts or accidents caused by defiance.
  
  

Why do you need Civil Liability Insurance in Spain?

Accidents happen, and when they do, the costs can quickly add up. Hopefully, now you have more of an idea of what Civil liability insurance is, and how it provides peace of mind if the unexpected occurs.  In conclusion, home and pet civil liability insurance is a vital safety net for homeowners and pet owners alike. It covers a wide range of incidents, providing protection when you need it most. So, while we can't predict the future, we can certainly prepare for it with the right insurance coverage and ensure that our houses really are “Home Sweet Home” in every way. Check out our home insurance bellow: