Circumstances in Which Homeowners Insurance May Cover Injuries Outside the Home
Published .
The general concept
Homeowners insurance may cover an insured’s legal responsibility for bodily injury even when the accident happens away from the insured residence. Personal-liability coverage often applies to accidental injuries occurring elsewhere, subject to the policy’s definitions, exclusions, conditions, and limits. For example, a guest injured when an insured accidentally causes a fall, or a person bitten by an insured’s dog, may present a claim under that coverage. The location alone does not decide whether the policy applies.
How Maryland applies it
Many homeowners policies provide personal-liability coverage for covered accidents throughout the United States and sometimes elsewhere, while medical-payments coverage may have different location or activity requirements. Coverage can be excluded or shifted to another policy for motor-vehicle or watercraft accidents, business or professional activities, expected or intentional injury, or injuries to an insured. The policy’s definition of “insured” also matters; household members may be included, but the wording controls. The insurer’s duty to defend can apply when the allegations potentially fall within coverage, even if the facts are disputed; the duty to pay a judgment is a separate question. To evaluate an off-premises injury, review the complete policy, declarations, exclusions, endorsements, and the facts of the accident, and give prompt notice as the policy requires.
Related Maryland Cases and Authorities
St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Co. v. Pryseski, 292 Md. 187 (1981); Litz v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., 346 Md. 217 (1997); Maryland Insurance Administration, Maryland Homeowners Insurance Consumer Guide.