Make Sure You are Covered Before Hosting That Super Bowl Party
Posted by
Robert WolfDecember 28, 2006 12:54 PMHaving a few friends over for New Year's Eve? Hosting a Super Bowl Party? If so, you'd better be sure that you have plenty of insurance in case the worst case scenario occurs.
Most of the 28.5 million Americans who plan to host a party between Thanksgiving and the Super Bowl are underinsured, according to a new study by Trusted Choice.
Of those 28.5 million party hosts, 21.3 million do not have a personal umbrella insurance policy, leaving themselves open to potential lawsuits and facing financial ruin, should the worst occur. The remaining 7.2 million hosts say they don't know what coverage they have, leaving them vulnerable too, according to the Trusted Choice's release.
According to an article at www.insurancejournal.com, If a party guest drinks, drives and causes an accident, the hosts can be held responsible in more than 30 states. In fact, a majority (53 percent) of party hosts believe they should be held responsible, but despite this, most haven't taken steps to protect themselves.
A personal umbrella insurance policy goes above and beyond homeowners insurance and gives hosts extra liability coverage. Purchasing a personal umbrella policy, providing $1 million or more in additional liability coverage over the limit of a standard homeowners' or renters' policy, is a prudent move for the frequent party host, and can cost as little as $150 a year.
"A majority of people (56 percent) planning to host parties do not have a personal umbrella policy," says Madelyn Flannagan, Trusted Choice. "People don't buy umbrella policies because they think they have enough coverage from their homeowner and auto policies--but they don't. The high dollar value of jury awards coupled with skyrocketing health care costs means one lawsuit can easily exceed the liability limits on the average policy.
"Protecting yourself and your family by having the proper coverage is critical," continues Flannagan. "While you'll never be able to entirely eliminate risks, planning ahead and learning your responsibilities as a host is the best defense. There are several ways to protect yourself and reduce risk while hosting a party."
For example, 84 percent of those surveyed say they would stop serving party guests if they'd had too much to drink. However, only 35 percent of these respondents had ever actually done so.
"Asking guests to stop drinking at your holiday party can be very awkward," says Flannagan. "However protecting your family and your guests is more important than an uncomfortable exchange at the neighborhood party. If you host a party and your over-served guest drives away and gets in an accident, you can be held responsible."