Halloween is everyone’s favorite holiday. How can you resist the costumes, candy, and decorations that come along with it? Well, until someone gets hurt, that is. Halloween celebrations can lead to plenty of liability risks for your property or homeowner’s association. It’s important to know and understand these risks in order to properly mitigate them, as well as have the right insurance policies in place so that your organization is well protected.
Here’s what you need to know as the “spooky season” approaches.
Halloween Hazards
Although Halloween is seen as a fun holiday, there are hazards lurking everywhere that it’s celebrated. Some of the most common ones include:
- Masks and Costumes – Bulky costumes can make it hard to walk, while some masks obscure your vision, making it easy to trip over curbs, run into shrubs, and fall off of steps, all of which can lead to bodily injuries.
- Decorations – Everyone loves some creepy Halloween decorations. The problem is that they can either scare children, who then trip and fall, or malfunction, leading to the decorations accidentally falling over or hitting people.
- Parties – Halloween parties are fun, until someone gets a little too wound up and trips and falls down some steps, into a wall, or onto pointy furniture. Accidents can happen when kids get too excited. (Not to mention what could occur when the partygoers are adults who have been drinking.)
- Trick or Treating – On top of all of the hazards that come about due to bulky costumes and tricky masks, trick or treaters run the risk of getting hit by cars, accidentally physically running into other groups of kids, and more.
Liability Insurance Policies
In order to mitigate your HOA or building’s liability for the injuries caused on Halloween, you need to have the right insurance policies in place. These will help pay for damages, lost wages, medical bills, and more, should you be found at fault for the accidents.
General Liability – Your business should have an insurance package that provides policies that protect your building and grounds. General liability insurance is usually a part of this, as these policies are crucial and required of all businesses. These policies will pay for medical bills, lost wages, and more should your company be forced to pay a settlement due to Halloween-related negligence.
HOA Insurance – An HOA needs a special liability policy that will cover the spaces owned and maintained by the homeowner’s association. These include the communal areas, pools, sidewalks or hallways, and any party rooms on the property. Since Halloween accidents can occur in any of these spaces, it’s important to have this type of policy in place.
Umbrella Policies – Finally, there are umbrella liability policies. These provide coverage amounts that are much higher than general and HOA liability, and kick in when those policies are maxed out.
Have Questions? Contact Charlotte Insurance
Want to learn more about liability insurance for HOAs, apartment complexes, or condominiums? Contact Charlotte Insurance. Our agents can explore and explain all available options and put together the insurance coverage plan your building or HOA needs.