Did you know that, between 2005 and 2014, there were an average of over 3,500 unintentional drownings yearly in the United States? About 20 percent of drowning victims are 14 years old or younger.
Having a pool increases the risk you’ll have a Homeowners Insurance claim. If a visitor to your home is injured on your property, the Coverage E, or Personal Liability, section of your policy could pay for covered claims.
It’s important to understand what limits you chose for the Coverage E section of your Homeowners policy; your insurance company can pay up to the limits of liability you selected for Coverage E. If you need additional liability insurance coverage, consider buying an Umbrella policy; this will provide liability coverage above the liability limits of your Homeowners or Auto policies.
After you verify you have the right amount of coverage in place for you and your family, follow these 5 tips to make your pool as safe as possible this summer:
- Create and post a list of safety rules and strictly enforce them with guests
- Learn basic water rescue skills, like first aid and CPR training, which are available through the American Red Cross. You should also encourage your family to learn these skills
- Never leave children unsupervised, even if it’s just for a few seconds
- Don’t leave toys or floats in or around the pool when not in use, as they could act as deadly temptations for younger children who may fall in the pool trying to play with them
- Don’t hesitate to restrict guests’ activities around the pool if you have doubts about their sobriety, their alertness or their water skills
*Information courtesy of the Insurance Information Institute