4 Reasons to Give Thanks for Your Insurance This Thanksgiving

When you’re sitting around your Thanksgiving table, have you done the thing where everyone takes turns saying what they’re thankful for? If yes, have you ever heard anyone give thanks for… insurance?

Probably not. Aside from some of our more enthusiastic staff members here at Covered, most people we know don’t go around trumpeting their love for insurance. But here’s the thing: There are several valid reasons to be thankful for insurance over the Thanksgiving holiday. Here are four reeeeally good ones.

1. Coverage for Accidental Home Cooking Fires

On Thanksgiving, our stoves, ovens, fryers, and smokers are working overtime to cook all that delicious food. So it’s not surprising that, according to the National Fire Protection Association, “There are more than three times as many home cooking fires on Thanksgiving as a typical day of the year, making it by far the leading day for US home cooking fires.”

THREE TIMES AS MANY. That’s a lot of accidental home cooking fires. And while it hopefully won’t happen to you, thanks to your homeowners insurance, you’re most likely covered if it does.

2. Coverage for Guests’ Accidental Injuries

Gloriously, Thanksgiving brings people together. Whether you’re surrounded by family or at the center of a Friendsgiving, people who don’t live with you are probably spending serious quality time at your house. Unfortunately, when all that quality time tends to involve significant amounts of alcohol, sharp carving knives, guests who may not fully understand your dog’s tolerance for belly rubs, and exactly the type of meat (poultry!) that most commonly causes salmonella infections, accidental injuries become more likely.

Maybe Great Uncle Leon gets overzealous with that carving knife, ending up at the ER. Maybe you didn’t cook that turkey quite long enough, sending everyone to the ER. Maybe your dog decides your friend Lisa deserves to be bitten. Maybe another friend ends up too tipsy, taking a bad fall down the stairs.

None of these things are fun to contemplate. All of these things should be avoided if possible. But if they do happen, your homeowners insurance likely has you covered. That said, there are caveats. Generally, the personal liability coverage of your homeowners insurance policy:

• DOES cover bodily injury or property damage claims for people who don’t live with you, provided they’re not closely related to you.
• DOESN’T cover those types of claims for immediate family members who live with you, or any others who are entitled to benefit from your homeowners insurance coverage.

3. Coverage for Car Accidents

Gonna let your college-aged brother borrow your car so he can pick your parents up from the airport while you get started on the turkey? Fine. Hopefully he’s a better driver than he used to be. If it turns out he isn’t — sideswiping another car on his way out of the airport — your auto insurance’s liability coverage may still have you covered. That’s because your auto insurance covers your car, regardless of who’s driving it, as long as you gave the person permission to drive your car.

Of course, not every driver of your car is entitled to the highest coverage levels. That privilege is reserved for you, your spouse (if a resident of the same household), and anyone else who is a “named insured” on your policy. That means your bad-driver brother may end up with less coverage for the accident.

4. Coverage for Theft of Personal Property

Maybe, in your enthusiasm to get to Aunt Linda’s house this Thanksgiving (she makes the BEST rice pudding), you post an “on the road” picture on Facebook… and, knowing you’re safely out of town, an enthusiastic thief takes the opportunity to rob your home of its many wonderful valuables. Or maybe your little sister’s shifty-looking new boyfriend turns out to have a penchant for stealing computers while everyone else is watching football. Either way, if something gets stolen from your home this Thanksgiving, your homeowners insurance may have you covered.

That said, here’s a great opportunity for us to remind you that — when it comes to personal property coverage — it’s important to make sure you have *enough* coverage. Otherwise, you may get less than you’re hoping for those stolen valuables.

Finally, an extra bonus reminder: Please don’t post on social media that you’re going out of town, or already out of town. It’s an open invitation to thieves. Instead, save those gorgeous, Instagrammable food shots to post upon your safe return home. Trust us, your followers will truly be okay if they don’t know what your mom’s Thanksgiving spread looks like till the Sunday after.

So, this Thanksgiving, before digging into that turkey or tofurkey, consider being the one to mention “insurance” during the “what I’m thankful for” round robin. It’ll undoubtedly get a laugh. You’ll be the only one who knows you’re actually serious.

Wondering if you’ve got enough personal property or auto coverage to ensure you won’t feel less than thankful in the event of a covered loss? Give us a call at (833) 487-2683 or drop us a line! One of our insurance experts will be happy to do a free policy review.

Cover Photo by Pro Church Media on Unsplash