Is My Childs Moped Covered By My Homeowners Insurance Policy?
If you have a child who is lucky enough to have a moped or a four-wheel off road vehicle (ATV) there are some things you need to know. Sometimes the child will be injured, through the negligence of another while riding the moped or the off road vehicle. Those injuries may include spinal cord injuries, brain injury, back injury, amputation, paralysis (either paraplegia, quadriplegia or just a single limb), broken bones, herniated discs, facial injuries and more. A good accident attorney or accident lawyer knows that these vehicles may not be covered on your homeowners policy or auto policy. Here’s why, and what you need to do to protect your children.
The reason the vehicle may not be covered is because it may not be a listed vehicle on your auto insurance. Most auto insurance policies require, if the vehicle is owned by you, it must be listed under the policy to be covered. The first thing you need to know is that your insurance is a matter of contract. In Indiana, generally, the Insurance companies are free to write into their contracts restrictions you would not know about or even imagine could be allowed in the contract. So, the first thing you must do is read your contract of insurance. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, you can pay a lawyer for an hour of his/her time to tell you what the contract means. If you do not wish to pay a lawyer, you can sit down with your insurance agent and have them explain the coverage to you. Be aware, however, that your agent, although well intentioned works for the insurance company and has no legal training. So if you do ask your agent to explain the provisions of the policy, know that their advice may not be accurate.
A second measure for your protection is to inform your agent, in writing and keeping a copy for yourself, that you have a moped or other off road vehicle and you what to make sure it is covered under your homeowners policy, or your auto policy. It will probably raise your rates a bit, but it is worth it to protect yourself and your children.
At Young and Young, we have over 55 years of experiences helping people recover the proper compensation for their injuries. Please give us a call.