How can Snapchat cause a personal injury lawsuit and how a personal injury endorsement could save you.
Social media is often viewed as both a blessing and a curse. It’s a great tool to keep in touch with loved ones both near and far, but it also has its downfalls. In this new age of technology-first, where everyone has the ability to post their thoughts at any given moment, a new trend is emerging here in the insurance world. Increasingly, we’re seeing more and more cases of families being hit with costly personal injury lawsuits based upon what their teen upstairs was Snapchatting to their friends. With new terms such as “cyber-bullying” making their way into one’s vocabulary, families are suing other families under a personal injury lawsuit. Think your standard homeowner’s insurance policy or renter’s policy covers personal injuries? Think again.
Under a standard homeowner’s policy or renter’s insurance policy, the injury covered is for bodily injury and property damages that don’t involve an automobile or aren’t business related. However, most homeowner’s or renter’s policies do not cover personal injury issues. Some other examples of what a personal injury endorsement might cover are as follows:
- False arrest, detention, or imprisonment
- Malicious prosecution
- Wrongful eviction, wrongful entry into, or invasion of the right of private occupancy of a room, dwelling, or premises
- Oral or written publication materials that slanders or libels a person
- An oral or written publication of material that violates a person’s right of privacy
With either your homeowner’s or renter’s policy, you can get a personal injury liability endorsement added to your policy.
With this special coverage, your homeowner’s policy will extend to the emotional damages you could be sued for. In some cases, the endorsement will help cover the legal costs of defending yourself in any litigation.
This special endorsement, however, does not give you the liberty to write, post, or say nasty stuff about other people. As with all insurance policies, there will be exclusions and limitations attached to the endorsement that must be adhered to. If you know what you’re doing is wrong, chances are it won’t be covered under this special endorsement on your policy. This also applies to anything illegal, of course. A personal injury liability endorsement is also not retroactive and must be in place prior to filing a claim.
When you think about the cost of litigation, a personal injury endorsement is a cheap addition to your homeowner’s or renter’s policy. All in all, the additional coverage is only liable to add a few dollars to your premium each year. Why not consider protecting yourself and your family from a potential lawsuit? Feel free to contact a Ramey King associate to discuss protecting you and your family. You never know what the future may hold.
