Renters insurance can provide coverage for personal injuries, but its scope depends on the circumstances. Generally, renters insurance covers injuries to guests or other individuals on the rental property but does not cover injuries to the tenants themselves.
Understanding the extent of this coverage—knowing what is and isn’t included—is important if someone gets in an accident. Whether you’re a tenant or a guest, knowing how renters insurance covers personal injury claims can help you explore your options and work toward getting the compensation you deserve.
What Is Renters Insurance?
Renters insurance is a policy that covers a renter’s losses if certain events (fire, theft, or damage) happen while renting a property. There is no legal requirement to have renters insurance, but landlords may require it to ensure that the tenant will take responsibility for any liability on their part.
Renters insurance can be incredibly helpful, especially if an accident happens on a rental property. Whether you’re the renter or an injured visitor, renters insurance can provide financial protection by giving you the option to file a claim and recover your losses.
What Exactly Does Renters Insurance Cover?
Renters insurance covers several types of losses and damages that often occur in the course of renting a property. Each policy has a limit, so insurance will only cover damages up to a certain amount.
The coverage included in most renters insurance policies includes:
Medical Payments
Renters insurance does cover personal injury in the form of medical payments to non-tenants. If a guest, passerby or other visitor to the rental property becomes injured, insurance will help pay for medical or funeral expenses. This coverage has strict limits, though, and may not provide much financial protection if the guest sues the renter.
Personal Property
Personal property coverage in a renters insurance plan will reimburse you for the replacement cost or cash value of your belongings if you lose them because of a covered peril. This can include fires, hail damage, theft and more.
Loss of Use
If a disaster causes you to be unable to live in your rental property for a period of time, loss of use coverage will help pay the difference when you seek other accommodations. For example, you might have to stay in a hotel room for a week while your rental home gets repaired after a tree falls on the roof. If the hotel is more expensive than your rent, then renters insurance will pay the difference.
What Is Typically Not Covered by Renters Insurance?
Renters insurance usually doesn’t cover damages caused by floods, earthquakes, maintenance issues or damage resulting from the renter’s own actions. If you’ve been injured on a rental property, it’s important to understand these exclusions to determine whether renters insurance applies to your situation or if other parties, such as the landlord, may be liable.
Floods and Earthquakes
Even though renters insurance covers certain natural disasters, such as high winds or hail, it typically does not cover floods, earthquakes or similar events. If you were injured during such an event, renters insurance is unlikely to apply, and you may need to explore other avenues, such as the property owner’s insurance or a separate disaster policy.
Maintenance Issues
Renters insurance does not typically cover injuries or damages caused by maintenance issues, as these are considered preventable rather than accidental. For example, problems like mold, pest infestations or structural defects typically fall outside the scope of coverage. If you’re injured due to such issues, liability may rest with the landlord if they failed to maintain the property in a safe condition.
Damage Caused by the Renter
Renters cannot get coverage from their renters insurance policy if their actions directly caused the damage. Likewise, a visitor who sustains a personal injury on the property due to the tenant’s actions would not have grounds to file a claim against the renters insurance policy. Instead, the injured person would likely have to sue the responsible party themselves.
Is Renters Liability Insurance Different From Renters Insurance?
Renters liability insurance is different from standard renters insurance. While standard renters insurance includes limited medical payments coverage for injuries on the property, renters liability insurance provides broader protection. It covers the policyholder if they cause injury to someone or damage another person’s property while on the rental premises.
Renters liability insurance is particularly useful if someone files a lawsuit against the renter. This coverage will pay for the injured person’s settlement, up to the specified policy limit, ensuring the renter does not have to pay the whole amount out of their own pocket or forfeit their property to help provide compensation.
Is the Landlord Liable for a Personal Injury?
A landlord can be liable for personal injuries that happen on a rental property if they fail to maintain the property in a safe and habitable condition, as required by landlord and tenant obligations under Arizona law.
In particular, the landlord is responsible for many exterior areas of a rental property. These can include sidewalks, stairways and even external security risks in some cases. Depending on where and how an accident happens, the tenant and landlord might both share in the fault for a guest’s injuries. A personal injury lawyer can evaluate your case and help determine who may be responsible for your injuries.
Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help You After a Rental Property Accident?
If you need to file a claim for an accident that happened on a rental property, either as a tenant or a guest, then a personal injury lawyer can help you get the settlement you deserve. Your legal team will negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and investigate for evidence proving that your accident is within the scope of renters insurance.
At Sargon Law Group, our team will assist you by:
- Advising you on what to say to the insurance company
- Reviewing the renters insurance terms and other relevant policies
- Filing your claim and completing other paperwork
- Advocating for your right to a fair settlement
- Taking your case to court if necessary
Call the Personal Injury Attorneys at Sargon Law Group
At Sargon Law Group, our personal injury attorneys are ready to help with cases in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and California. We can answer your questions about rental property accidents, whether you are wondering if renters insurance covers personal injury or how much your claim might be worth. Contact us today for a free consultation.