It is a legal requirement for a professional handyman firm to buy worker’s compensation insurance and general liability insurance to cover medical expenses concerning an on-the-job injury.
Unfortunately, some handymen operate without the necessary insurance packages. Homeowners can find themselves in legal trouble if they casually hire an uninsured handyperson without signing a contract.
If you hire uninsured workers without workers’ compensation coverage, they can sue the homeowner for damages.
Consider speaking to a trusted insurance agency to shield yourself from liability arising from uninsured workers.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Handymen?
As a homeowner, you have specific legal liabilities over the people you welcome into your property. The responsibility, also known as premises liability, extends to contractors, housekeepers, babysitters, and landscapers.
If you’re liable for someone else’s injury while working on your property, your homeowner’s insurance can cover the damages.
Unfortunately, the homeowner’s insurance can fail to pay the claim if your carelessness caused the accident. If your insurer believes you contributed to the accident by failing to exercise reasonable care in your property, it may withhold protection in a premises liability coverage lawsuit against you.
Do You Owe a Duty of Care to a Handyman Working on Your Property?
A homeowner owes a duty of care to people they hire to work on their property. Someone who enters your property for your benefit is considered an invitee. Under California premises liability, property owners assume the highest duty of care to people they invite to their properties.
Here is a list of duties of care to invitees, including workers:
- They should inspect the property in search of hidden hazards
- Removing known hazards within a reasonable time frame
- Warning invitees, including handypersons, of existing hazards that are not immediate, clear, or obvious
- Not engaging in willful or wanton conduct to cause injuries
You could be liable for damages and losses if you fail to fulfill the above duties and a handyman gets injured while repairing your property.
However, the injured handyperson must prove the following elements to receive compensation.
- You should have known or knew about the hazard
- The hazard caused the injury
- The homeowner failed to take reasonable steps to fix or eliminate the hazard.
Types of Damages Covered By Homeowners Insurance
Homeowners insurance can cover the following damages awarded by a court when someone suffers an injury on your property:
- Economic Damages: Economic damages compensate the injured party for their monetary loss. These damages include loss of wages, medical expenses, and profits.
- Non-economic damages: They include mental anguish, disability, disfigurement, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.
- Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant for causing an injury.
Speak to an Experienced Homeowners Insurance Agent
If an uninsured worker sues you for injuries, the court can award a hefty settlement amount to cover the damages. If uninsured, the settlement amount can ruin your finances or cause your properties to be auctioned.
Even so, you can shield yourself from unforeseen liabilities by acquiring homeowner’s insurance from a reputable firm like Panorama Insurance Agency.
Contact us online to request a free quote.
