Hiring a service to care for your lawn this spring? If so, make sure the lawn care professional has workers compensation coverage and general liability insurance.
Workers compensation insurance covers medical and other costs related to a hire who is hurt while working at your home. Without this insurance, you could be liable for costs associated with that person’s injury.
General liability insurance covers the cost of accidental harm to your property or others caused by the professional’s services, such as water damage resulting from a broken pipe. Without this insurance, you could be left paying for the damage out of pocket.
Keep in mind that the scope of the work may also affect the coverage available from the general liability insurance policy. For example, some specialty services, such as the application of pesticides or large tree removal, may require the lawn care professional to obtain specific insurance for those services. When you hire lawn service providers, request proof of insurance coverage and maintain a copy for your records; some damage isn’t immediately apparent. Additionally, read your service contract carefully to see if the company includes language shifting responsibility for damage to you. That could present a serious financial liability that might not be insured under your homeowners policy.
