That time of year is upon us – hanging lights and decorations, friends and family gathering at your home, gift giving, and the big jolly guy on your rooftop with eight magic reindeer.
It may come as no surprise that this adds up to a very merry season, ripe with potential mishaps. Luckily, there are steps you can take to reduce the chance for potential disasters keeping your holiday season less risky and overall merrier.
Holiday Guests and Decoration Mishaps
With the increased traffic at your home during the holiday season, you should be mindful of any tripping hazards and your decorations should be secure. Sometimes those holiday parties mixed with eggnog and schnapps are a recipe for an accident so keeping the hazards to a minimum will help reduce the risk of injury.
Make sure decorations are secure and your Christmas tree is away from high trafficked areas. With lots of lights hung about, keep cords from where they could be a tripping hazard. To avoid fire, make sure not to plug too many lights into one outlet, extinguish candles when you leave a room, and if you have a fireplace, make sure to service and clean it before the first use of the season.
With people coming and going during this holiday season, remember to keep your outside walkways shoveled, salted and clear of ice. A concern of injury should not be kept to just inside your home, but on any property you own.
What to do if someone is injured at your holiday party
Generally, a homeowner is only liable for injury on his/her property if the homeowner’s negligence led to the accident. Some states may hold you liable for accidents involving alcohol served from your home. Check your state’s laws and your homeowner’s insurance policy to make sure you know your protection.
Stolen Gifts
These days a lot of presents are ordered online and delivered right to your door. It is not only convenient for the shopper, but for the thief as well. Almost 1 in 10 Americans report packages stolen from their doorstep. To avoid stolen packages, try setting delivery times when you know you will be home and add tracking so you know when they are arriving. If you know you will not be home, see if a neighbor can bring your packages inside for safekeeping.
What to do if your packages are stolen
Once your deductible is met, your homeowner’s insurance will cover the cost of the stolen goods. Unfortunately, this may not help for lower priced items, but if an expensive item is stolen, be sure to report it to our claims department.
Santa Falls Off Your Roof
Should Santa or maybe an ambitious family member stringing lights fall off your roof, what should you do?
After making sure Santa is ok and receiving medical attention, you will want to inform our claims department of the incident. While homeowners’ insurance policies vary, most slip and fall accidents are covered as long as the homeowner did not act intentionally to cause the fall. Most insurance policies have liability and no-fault medical coverage. An accident will not land you on Santa’s naughty list, but if you know that there may be someone on your roof during the winter months delivering gifts or stringing lights, make sure the area is as safe as possible. Also, be sure to obtain a certificate of insurance for any contractors on your roof.
If you have any questions about how to keep your home and guests safe this holiday season, a Brooks, Todd & McNeil agent is here to help.