How Does Having a Trampoline Affect Your Homeowners Insurance?
| August 18, 2011 | Filled under SuperFunTrampolines, Trampoline Safety |
Here’s something you may NOT have thought of … insurance.
Trampolines: Know Your Insurance, Expert Advises
Insurers are getting more concerned about trampolines, and some insurers will cancel your policy if you install one. If you’re planning to buy a trampoline, talk to your agent first.
While many insurers are fine with trampolines if they have proper safety netting, some aren’t, and you may have to change carriers.
McCarthy tells of a case where a child broke his arm playing on his customer’s trampoline. Because the homeowner hadn’t notified him, the insurance company had the right to deny covering the claim. Fortunately, the insurer did pay.
“That’s a risk you don’t need to take. Always keep your agent up to date,” he says.
Personal Liability Umbrella Insurance
And how does trampoline ownership affect your homeowner’s insurance?
Joe Stonbely of Stroudsburg, an Allstate agent in East Stroudsburg, said that the underwriting guidelines recommend that trampolines be allowed on the insurance policy only if they are protected.
“The trampoline must have a safety net and be enclosed with a fence at least four feet high with a locking gate.” He said that the net is designed to help prevent falling injuries, and the gate will help prevent unauthorized use.
Stonbely suggested that padding be installed on the steel rings that hold the trampoline springs in place so that a jumper couldn’t put a foot through that space.
He recommended that the steel ring and the safety net attached to it be installed at your home by the store from which it is purchased to ensure that it is done correctly.
“We don’t want (people) bouncing off it and going headlong into a tree,” he said.
Stonbely feels that the trampoline should really be thought of as a training device for athletes.
“Unfortunately they have popularized (it) by store advertisements as a recreational item. It is not a plaything or a toy,” Stonbely said.
Based on some specifically Canadian research, Westland Insurance suggests
You should consider purchasing umbrella personal liability coverage if you:
- have a swimming pool or trampoline on your property
Remember, stay safe and have fun!
Very nice, i suggest Admin can set up a forum, so that we can talk and communicate.
Nancy
Thanks for the suggestion. We will see what we can do.