There is no law requiring you to have homeowner's insurance. If you do not have a valid home owner’s insurance policy then the risk is all on you. A homeowner is personally liable for any injuries sustained on his or her property to the extent that they are found to be the cause of the negligence. This applies whether or not insurance is in effect. Insurance is used to pay for your attorney if you are sued and to pay claims against the homeowner up to the policy limit. Without insurance, the homeowner has to pay out of pocket. The effect of this obligation is potentially devastating. One serious personal injury case could bankrupt a homeowner, rendering liability coverage a necessity.
Some examples of homeowner liability include: A tree branch falling on someone, the family dog biting a neighbor or guest, a person slipping and falling on a lose step or a torn or uneven carpeting, someone falling due to broken cement in the sidewalk or falling on the sidewalk because of snow or ice, a person being injured or burned in a fire on the homeowner’s property.
At O’Sullivan & Zacchea we regularly represent property and vehicle owners who are sued for claims that are not covered by their insurance policy. We understand that these claims and being sued can be potentially devastating to our clients so we work with them throughout the entire process in an effort to minimize their financial exposure and ultimately have the claims against them dismissed.
If you have been named in a lawsuit and you do not have insurance please feel free to contact Kevin O'Sullivan or Peter Zacchea at (718) 713-3499 to discuss your case. You may also e-mail the firm at info@ozatlaw.comwith any questions you may have.