Does Insurance Work for Fireworks Accidents?
Certain counties in New York State allow individuals to purchase and use sparkling devices on their property. Though, it is illegal throughout the state to set off airborne fireworks. Unfortunately, many individuals ignore these laws when it comes to Fourth of July celebrations. This sometimes leads to fireworks accidents that damage neighboring properties. If you are this neighbor that had to pay the consequences, then you may require some sort of financial compensation to recuperate your property damages. Follow along to find out whether insurance works for fireworks accidents and how one of the proficient New York residential damage claim attorneys at Craig Blumberg can help you in attaining this.
Does insurance apply for fireworks accidents?
Your homeowner’s insurance coverage may be contingent on the specific circumstances of your fireworks accident. On the one hand, it may be applied if your accident was caused by a sparkler. But on the other hand, it may be denied for illegal activity such as setting off airborne fireworks in your backyard.
A similar set of rules may apply when your neighbor’s fireworks cause damage to your property. Firstly, the liability portion of your neighbor’s insurance policy may cover your property damage if the fireworks they set off were legal. Though, this insurance coverage may be denied if the fireworks they set off were illegal. This means that you may have to file a claim under your own homeowner’s insurance or file a lawsuit against your negligent neighbor.
What should I do immediately following a fireworks accident?
For your homeowner’s insurance claim or civil action, you carry a burden of proof. Meaning, you must supply enough evidence to prove that your property damages were due to no fault of your own but rather directly caused by the carelessness of your neighbor. To fulfill this, you should take the following steps immediately after your fireworks accident:
- Call law enforcement officers to your property so that they may conduct an accident report.
- Call firefighters to your property so that they may extinguish any flames the fireworks caused.
- Call paramedics and EMTs to your property so that they may attend to any personal injuries the fireworks caused.
- Take photos and videos on your phone of your property damages and the fireworks that caused it.
- Write down the contact information of the neighbor that caused your property damage.
- Record oral or written testimonies from witnesses that were present when the fireworks struck your property.
If an insurance claim is something that you wish to kickstart today, then retain the services of one of the talented New York residential damage claim attorneys from Craig Blumberg. We await sitting down with you at your initial consultation.
