Exploding Turkeys Happen: Insure Yourself Against Thanksgiving Disaster
Ah, Thanksgiving. That wonderful time of the year when many of us gather with our loved ones, cooking and eating complicated dishes we only make once every 365 days. What could go wrong?
Lots, of course. Almost everyone has at least one Thanksgiving horror story – burned or still-frozen turkeys, apple-less apple pies, rock-hard gravy – and most of them are more comical than consequential. If real Thanksgiving calamity happens, however, you want to make sure you’re covered. Here’s how to best insure your family and your property against Thanksgiving disaster.
Turkey Day Fires
So, you’ve decided to try deep-frying your turkey this year. Everyone says it makes for such a tasty bird! But with a big vat of hot oil, an open flame and a large, slippery turkey, deep-frying your dinner could quickly turn into deep-frying your back deck if you’re not careful. The results can be catastrophic.
Even if you prepare your turkey in a conventional oven, if it’s left unattended for too long or you have a mechanical malfunction, fires can easily result. According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking accounts for about half of all home fires and more cooking fires happen on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year. The outcome can be injury, property damage, and worse.
The good news is that, as long as the fire isn’t caused by gross negligence, a good home policy will usually cover the damage. Do you have the coverage you need to rebuild after a major home fire? As you are thinking about your menu for Thanksgiving this year, it’s wise to take some time to think about your fire insurance policy, as well.
Holiday Accidents
No one ever expects an accident – that’s why we call them that! But if your neighbor takes an after-dinner walk and trips over the extension cord powering the giant inflatable turkey in your front yard, you could be on the hook for a host of medical expenses.
If you are found liable for an accident like this, your insurance will protect you, provided you have the right amount of coverage. Liability coverage helps limit the expenses for which you're responsible. Adding this coverage to your homeowners insurance is generally very inexpensive; therefore, we always advise homeowners to increase to the max limit your policy offers.
Natural Disasters
While you might think that your cousin’s kids rampaging through your house constitutes a natural disaster, the unfortunate reality is that true natural disasters don’t observe holidays; a tornado or other windstorm, wildfire or flood can happen any day of the year, including Thanksgiving Day.
We always say, “Expect the best, prepare for the worst.” So while it’s unlikely that a natural disaster will strike during your holiday dinner, it’s always advisable to make sure your homeowner’s policy includes coverage for such a damaging incident.
And if one of your cousin’s kids does manage to overflow a sink while they’re rampaging through the house? If you’ve added water backup coverage to your base policy, you’re more likely to be covered. Water and sewer backup coverage can be added as an endorsement to your base policy to cover issues like a backup through a sink or drain (i.e. a sump pump backup). This coverage is always recommended to anyone with a sump pump, particularly those with a finished basement. However, if the backup is not from an unexpected accident, it won’t be covered. This means it's important to keep up with your home’s regular maintenance. You’ll want to pay attention to things like aging pipes, overgrown tree roots, and frequent blockages in your plumbing. In doing so, you will limit the chances of an accident occurring that insurance does not cover.
Not Just Your House
Putting up lots of folks for the holiday this year? Thinking about letting some of them stay in your RV? Crowding a bunch of cars next to yours in the driveway? Thanksgiving disasters can befall your vehicles as well as your house. If something happens to your RV while your visitors are there (“Um, it’s been a while since we hooked this thing up to electricity”), or a guest parks just a little too close to your car, the right auto policy will cover you.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving
All of us at Lines Insurance wish you and your family a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving! And if you need help figuring out what insurance policies can best protect you this holiday and every day, drop us a line.