Are Your Slip and Fall Injuries Covered by Homeowner's Insurance?

When a homeowner's insurance policy may cover a slip-and-fall accident, and how to pursue your claim.

Updated by , J.D. · University of San Francisco School of Law
Updated by Charles Crain, Attorney · UC Berkeley School of Law

Many people think that simply because they got hurt on someone else's property, the property owner's insurance will cover any personal injury claim they decide to make. That's not always correct. As in almost any personal injury case, there must be some measure of fault (usually that means negligence) in order for the claim to be successful. Read on to learn more about how to make a successful slip-and-fall claim, including:

  • how your ability to collect under a homeowner's insurance policy is affected by liability rules
  • the differences between liability coverage and medical payments coverage, including when each might compensate you for the costs of your injuries, and
  • what you should do after an accident to make a claim and improve your chances of receiving a fair settlement.

We'll also discuss when you should consider consulting with an attorney who can help you with your claim.

Can Homeowner's Insurance Cover Slip-and-Fall Injuries?

If you've been injured in a fall at someone's home, you may be wondering how to get started with seeking compensation. You can begin by asking three key questions:

  • Is the owner liable (that is, legally responsible) for the accident?
  • Does the property owner have homeowner's insurance, and are they willing to let their insurance carrier handle the claim?
  • What, exactly, will the homeowner's insurance policy pay for?

Let's look at each of these questions in detail.

Is the Homeowner Liable?

Under the legal theory of premises liability, a homeowner is usually only liable for an accident if their negligence was a cause of what happened. The homeowner isn't automatically negligent just because you fell on their property. It's not even enough to show that your injury was caused by an unsafe condition on the owner's property. The condition that caused your injury must have been unreasonably unsafe.

So, for example, if you fall because a bannister gives way when you reach out to steady yourself, you might have a good argument that your injury is the result of negligence. But if you trip coming down the stairs because you're looking at your phone, and the bannister gives way when you crash into it, it will be much more difficult to make a case that the homeowner is responsible.

Each state has its own laws covering liability, so make sure you know the specific rules that apply to your situation. For example, states' laws can be different in crucial ways when it comes to liability for an unsafe condition that was "open and obvious."

If you're not sure how the law applies to your accident, it may be helpful to seek advice from an attorney who handles premises liability cases. We'll talk more below about how liability often works in the most common slip-and-fall accident scenarios.

Does the Homeowner Have Insurance?

Of course, you can't be compensated through insurance if the homeowner doesn't have any. Most homeowners do carry insurance—both because:

  • they want to protect their homes and possessions, and
  • mortgage companies require it.

But there's no public record of who does or doesn't have homeowner's insurance, so after an accident the best approach is to ask the property owner for their insurance information.

If the property owner doesn't have insurance, your only options will usually be:

  • making a demand for compensation directly to the property owner (through a demand letter, for example) and hoping they'll settle with you, or
  • filing a lawsuit against them—or at least letting them know you're considering a lawsuit—in order to spur a settlement.

You may also need to deal directly with the homeowner to make up the difference if their insurance doesn't cover the full amount of your injury-related losses (called "damages" in the language of the law).

What If the Homeowner Isn't Forthcoming About the Insurance Picture?

Sometimes even a homeowner with insurance will be reluctant to tell you they're covered, or won't give you the name of their carrier. That's because some insurance companies will respond to a single claim on the policy by canceling the coverage or greatly increasing the monthly premiums.

If the homeowner tries to avoid involving insurance, you could proceed the same way you would if you knew they were uninsured—by asking them to pay you out of pocket, or letting them know you're ready to go to court. That may motivate them to get their insurance carrier involved.

Figuring out the insurance picture—and your options when dealing with the homeowner—is another area where you may benefit from the help of an experienced attorney.

What Will Homeowner's Insurance Cover?

Two kinds of coverage might come into play with your slip-and-fall claim:

Medical payments coverage. Called medpay for short, this coverage may be available to compensate you for at least some of your medical bills. One helpful thing about medpay is that you can be reimbursed without having to demonstrate that the homeowner is liable for your injuries. As long as you show that you were hurt on the property, medpay will cover the costs of your medical treatment. The compensation process is straightforward—you send your medical bills to the insurance adjuster and will be reimbursed up to the limit of the coverage.

The downside to medpay is that the coverage is usually minimal. Some homeowners pay extra for more coverage. But, in general, you can expect medpay to help with the first few thousand dollars of medical bills, but not to compensate you for the costs of a more significant injury.

Liability coverage. If the homeowner is legally responsible for your accident, then their liability coverage may compensate you more fully than medpay for the damages you've suffered. That includes:

  • medical costs that go beyond the limit of the medpay coverage
  • non-medical damages like your lost wages, and
  • compensation for your physical and mental "pain and suffering."

As we discussed above, whether the homeowner is liable can be a complicated question. Next we'll talk about the practical side of getting the insurance company to offer you a fair settlement based on the homeowner's liability.

What Should You Do After a Slip-And-Fall Accident in Someone's Home?

Your first priority after a slip-and-fall accident should be your health. Make sure you seek any necessary medical care immediately following the incident, and follow the treatment plan suggested by doctors. If you think you may be entitled to compensation from the homeowner's insurance company, take the following additional steps as soon as you can.

Gather Evidence About Your Accident

It's not exactly polite to start collecting evidence for a slip-and-fall claim when you're a guest in someone else's home. But if you've been injured then it's important to take action to preserve your legal options.

Take photographs as soon as possible after the accident. You should take pictures of the accident scene, your clothes, and any bruises that you might have received. Photographing the scene right after the accident is especially important because the conditions that caused your accident might be temporary. Ice and snow, for example, can melt or be cleared away within minutes. It can be difficult or impossible to win an ice-and-snow case without pictures showing the ice and snow as it was at the moment of your injury.

Write down everything you remember. Your own account of what happened will be important evidence both during the insurance claim process and in any potential lawsuit. So make notes as soon as you can about how the accident happened, what you saw, and anything anyone said (before or after your fall) that seems like it might be important. The sooner after the accident you make these kinds of notes, the more credibility they'll have with insurance adjusters and—if your case winds up in court—judges and jurors.

Gather information from witnesses. Ask other people who were at the scene of the accident about what they saw and heard. You may be able to do that immediately. If that's not possible, you should at least do your best to gather people's names and contact information so you can follow up later. Get as much detail as you can in writing—either by taking your own notes, or by having witnesses write down or email you what they remember.

Be thorough. Be sure to talk to anyone who may have seen the unsafe condition, not just to people who saw your fall. For example, maybe you were outside by yourself when you slipped on your neighbor's front path. If guests who arrived before you remember telling the homeowner that they almost slipped on the dark and icy pavement, that's important evidence in support of your claim. You should also ask the homeowner—and maybe the owners of neighboring properties—if they have doorbell or surveillance cameras that may have recorded your fall.

Learn more about proving fault in a slip-and-fall case and when to talk to a lawyer after a slip-and-fall accident.

File Your Claim Right Away

If and when the homeowner provides you with their insurance information, you should report your claim to the company as soon as possible.

Make sure you:

  • send the report in writing
  • send it in a way that allows you to prove it was delivered (for example, via certified mail)
  • include the key facts, like the homeowner's name and address, the date of the accident, and a basic description of your injuries
  • don't include any unnecessary detail or speculation about the causes of the accident, your injuries, or your recovery
  • explain that you will be seeking recovery under "all available coverages," and
  • tell the company that, at least for now, you will not be providing any additional written or recorded statements.

If you've already finished all medical treatment when you send the report, you can tell the company that you'll be following up with a settlement demand as soon as possible. If you're still receiving treatment, tell the insurer that you will follow up once your treating doctor tells you that you've reached "maximum medical improvement" (MMI). MMI is the point at which you've either fully recovered, or have recovered as much as you're going to.

Be Careful Working With the Claims Adjuster

When the insurance company receives your claim, they'll assign an insurance adjuster to handle it. The adjuster will gather facts about your accident by contacting you and the homeowner.

The adjuster will have a lot of questions for you, but remember that they are not a neutral fact-finder. They work for the insurance company, and their goal is to limit the amount of money the company might have to pay under their contract with the homeowner. That means:

  • You should remember that you're in control of your claim. You don't have to agree to the adjuster's suggestions about how the process should go, even when they're persistent or tell you it's the best way to proceed.
  • You should not agree to provide a recorded statement about your accident to the adjuster. There are many reasons this is a bad idea. For example, if you forget to mention an important detail, or accidentally misstate something, the insurance company will use the recorded statement to argue that your story is inconsistent or even that you're making something up.
  • You should not send your medical records, bills, or other documents to the adjuster, or agree to sign releasesallowing the company to get this information on its own.

You can let the adjuster know that you'll be providing all of the relevant information and records with your settlement demand.

Prepare a Settlement Demand Letter

When you've reached MMI (or if you need to move the process forward because of the statute of limitations on your claim), you should send a settlement demand letter to the insurance company. The demand letter is your opportunity to describe your fall, the nature and extent of your injuries, and the damages you've suffered. Your damages include:

  • Economic damages. This covers things that can be easily measured in dollars, like the cost of medical care and wages you lost because you were unable to go to work.
  • Non-economic damages. This includes things like your pain and suffering—hardships that are tougher to quantify in dollars.

To support your settlement demand, you should attach copies of records showing your financial losses—medical bills, medical records, written statements from your employer, and anything else that provides concrete evidence of the money you've spent or lost because of the accident. You can draw from the notes you've made about your injuries and how they've impacted your life.

As this description suggests, a settlement demand letter is very fact-based and relies heavily on documentation. You should make sure to prepare for this from the beginning by saving all of the relevant records (and by requesting them from any provider that doesn't automatically send you copies). You should also be as thorough as possible in taking and saving your own notes.

Your demand letter will probably lead to a negotiation between you and the insurer. The company will be looking for ways to argue that you're entitled to less than what you asked for, and will expect that you began by demanding more money than you expect to eventually receive. That means your initial demand should be as high as you can reasonably justify—you can wait for the insurance company's response before deciding if reducing your demand makes sense.

Should You Hire a Lawyer to Help With Your Slip-and-Fall Claim?

When you're considering whether to hire a lawyer to assist with your slip-and-fall claim, it's helpful to distinguish between the insurance claims process and the legal process.

As we've discussed, the claims process is essentially a negotiation between you and the homeowner's insurance company. If you have severe injuries, high medical bills, and other serious economic damages, it may make sense to hire an attorney to assist with your claim. On the other hand, if you feel up to it physically and think your claim is pretty straightforward, you may feel comfortable handling it yourself.

But if you can't reach an agreement with the insurance company, and are considering filing a lawsuit, then you should seriously consider hiring an attorney to represent you. The rules and procedures of a civil lawsuit are complex. An attorney who specializes in taking cases to court—especially premises liability cases—should be able to navigate the process and work with you to present your best case.

A good lawyer will also be able to advise you on what kind of settlement offer you should be aiming for. The value of your slip-and-fall claim depends on factors including the extent of your injuries, you damages you've suffered, and whether you're partially responsible for the accident. Evaluating all of those factors could be daunting for a layperson. So you may benefit from the expertise of an attorney who handles premises liability cases for a living.

You should also bear in mind that unlike in the claims process—where you're entitled to refuse the insurance company's request for a recorded statement—in a civil lawsuit you'll be required to answer questions under oath and on the record. A lawyer can help you prepare for that deposition, and assist with other aspects of the discovery process.

Learn More About How to Handle Your Slip-and-Fall Claim

If you've been injured in a fall at someone's residence and aren't sure how to proceed, you can read more about slip-and-fall claims and premises liability. You can also use the features on this page to connect with a personal injury attorney and discuss your situation in more detail.

Make the Most of Your Claim
Get the compensation you deserve.
We've helped 285 clients find attorneys today.
There was a problem with the submission. Please refresh the page and try again
Full Name is required
Email is required
Please enter a valid Email
Phone Number is required
Please enter a valid Phone Number
Zip Code is required
Please add a valid Zip Code
Please enter a valid Case Description
Description is required

How It Works

  1. Briefly tell us about your case
  2. Provide your contact information
  3. Choose attorneys to contact you