I Am A Single Parent. If My Son Breaks My Neighbor’s Window, am I Protected through my home insurance policy?

If your son is 13 or younger, your home insurance policy will cover the broken window even if it was caused intentionally. If your son was over 13, the insurance company will want to verify that the broken window was done accidentally. If your son was playing ball at another location and broke a window accidentally there, your home insurance policy should cover the damages because personal liability insurance is included in a homeowner's insurance policy.

The exception to the liability coverage on your insurance is when the damage is done intentionally by an adult or child over the age of 13. Insurance companies do not provide coverage against willful wrongdoing by a person who is considered to be old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. If the insurance company can reasonably show that the window was broken on purpose the insurance will not settle the claim regardless of your coverage.

A standard homeowner's insurance policy includes personal liability coverage. This type of coverage protects you against damages done to your property or to someone else's property by a member of your household. If your policy also includes personal injury liability, it includes such abstract damages as libel and slander, among other things. Personal injury liability is usually an additional policy, but the cost is negligible, especially if you consider what the cost of a single case would cost you out of pocket.

When in doubt, read your policy carefully. It will explain what is covered, what is excluded, and which types of claims will result in paying a deductible. In the situation where a window is broken accidentally, most home insurance policies do not require paying a deductible, but every policy is different and you should verify what yours covers, or contact your insurance agent.