Unsafe Pools are an Insurance Liability

7/17/2010

This summer's heat wave has undoubtedly inspired more than one family to consider investing in a swimming pool. However, before taking this step, there are a number of home insurance considerations that people are strongly advised to remember.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, people who install a swimming pool may want to consider carrying as much as $500,000 in liability protection on their home insurance policy. Typical policies tend to offer closer to $100,000 in protection.

Along with liability protection, the III reminds people to be sure their current policies will be sufficient to replace a pool if it is damaged or destroyed in a storm, and to also be able to replace any surrounding features, such as a deck.

With more than 3,400 drownings occurring each year in the United States, it's also important for people to protect themselves and others by being certain that their pool area is as safe as it can be.

For example, four-sided barriers such as a fence, as well as alarms, can help prevent children from going into a pool unsupervised. Homeowners are also advised to be certain that anyone using their pool actually knows how to swim, and they should keep their area clear of glass bottles and other potential hazards to further decrease the chance of a mishap.

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