Summer insurance tips

Summer is nearly here and it’s time to start thinking about firework nights, lake weekends and maximizing your outdoor time while the weather is good. While you’re gearing up for the excitement of summer, don’t forget to prepare for the potential risks as well. We’ve outlined some summer insurance tips to help you prepare to have the best summer yet.

Common summer insurance claims

When you know common summer risks and potential situations that would require insurance claims, you can take steps to prevent them. A great place to start is installing smoke detectors and security systems, securing outdoor cooking equipment and swimming pools and practicing safe driving with your ATV. By doing this prep work, you’ll be better prepared to prevent accidents or the need to file a claim.

Some risks are specific to summer, or are more likely to occur in summer. Here is a list of common summer insurance claims and tips on what to be aware of.

• Outdoor fires – These can cause damage to your property, especially if the fire gets out of control and spreads to your home. Wildfires are a common, and commonly feared, cause of outdoor fires. However, fires can be caused by seemingly safe activities as well, including things like setting off fireworks or cooking on an outdoor grill. In some cases, outdoor fires can also cause injuries to people on your property, or damage to your neighbors' property.
• Drownings – This is a serious risk, particularly for families with small children. If you have a swimming pool or other body of water on your property, it's important to take steps to ensure that children are supervised at all times. Also consider that pools are an attractive nuisance. This means that you need to take reasonable precautions to secure the area.
• Boating accidents – All boat owners are at risk of being involved in a boating accident. This could result in damage to your boat or injuries to you, your passengers or other people on the water.
• Home burglary – Summer brings a lot of home burglaries because homeowners are away, presenting thieves with the opportunity to strike. You could lose valuable possessions and suffer damage to your property during the burglary. There is also a risk of personal harm to people who are present during a home break-in.

Summer activities that may need insurance coverage

It’s important to explore insurance coverages that are relevant to your summer plans. Here is a breakdown of types of insurance coverage that you make want to consider.

• Boating – If you own a boat, you may want to consider purchasing boater's insurance. Perhaps surprisingly, most states do not require this coverage. Check your state regulations to find out if you need it, but consider purchasing it even if they don’t. It typically covers damage to your boat, liability for injuries or damages caused by your boat. It may also include coverage for personal property on board the boat.
• Backyard pool – If you have a backyard pool, your insurance company will need to know. You may want to consider adding liability coverage to your home insurance policy, or an umbrella policy, in case someone is injured in or around your pool.
• Biking – Your bicycle is likely covered by your homeowners or renters insurance policy in case of theft or damage, as well as liability coverage if you cause an accident while riding your bike.
• Backyard celebrations – Grills, fireworks and swing sets are common sources of injuries in the backyard. You may want to check your liability coverage to be sure that you have sufficient financial protection if someone is hurt.
• Vacation – Keeping your vacated home safe while you are away is important for any homeowner. If you're going to be away from your home for an extended period of time, have someone check in on the property and let you know if there are any possible claims that need to be made. For example, if a window is broken in a storm or by a baseball from the neighbors playing.
• Road trip – Auto insurance is a must to cover any damage or injuries that occur while you're driving. If you’re planning to cross borders during your road trip, check to make sure that you’ll be covered in those countries as well. It's also a good idea to consider travel insurance to cover any unexpected expenses or emergencies that arise during your trip.
• ATV – Unlike a boat, an ATV does need insurance. ATV insurance typically covers damage to your ATV and liability for injuries or damages caused by it. Your homeowners or umbrella policies may offer some additional protection.

It's important to note that the specific types and amount of insurance coverage you need will depend on a variety of factors. Your best course of action is to talk to your insurance company, or the VIU by HUB Advisory Team, to talk about your specific summer plans and any new equipment or toys you might want insured to be certain that you have the coverage you need this summer.