What Coverage Will Protect You When Social Media Goes Wrong?
Oh, the wonderful world of social media. While it has done some amazing things, like connect long lost family members or boost revenue for businesses, it’s also known for its dark side. One wrong comment post could land you in some hot water, both personally and legally. However, if you have the correct coverage’s on your homeowner’s policy, you could have some protection from this hot water!
Homeowner’s Policy
Your typical homeowner’s policy provides basic coverage for liability. This coverage will pay out in the event that you are found negligent for the bodily injury or property damage done to others. For instance, if your neighbor comes over to your house and your dog attacks them, your liability coverage will pay for the legal expenses, and possibly medical expenses, associated with that attack.
Social Media Posts
Say your teenager decides to get on Facebook one day and make some pretty hurtful comments about one of his teachers. Or, you share an unflattering picture of a friend as a joke, yet that friend didn’t give you permission to do so. Would your homeowner’s liability coverage protect you if that teacher, or that friend, decides to sue? Not without Personal Injury coverage.
Insurance for Liability Protection
Is your friend going to sue you because you posted an unflattering picture of them? If they did, you probably need to find some new friends! But, what about that stranger you met at the concert last weekend? Say, y’all hit it off pretty well. You hang out all night, taking pictures and having drinks and enjoying the music. Then you get home later that night and post your pictures because you want everyone to see the fabulous time you had with your new friend. What if you post a picture of your new friend with alcohol in her hands, her employer sees it and Monday morning, she finds out she’s fired? Now that new friend is jobless and has you to blame. If she decides to sue, do you have enough money in your rainy-day fund to pay for those legal expenses?
Coverage for Personal Injury
Coverage for Personal Injury will help you pay for the legal expenses associated with suits that involve defamation, privacy invasion or slander, to name a few. You can add coverage for Personal Injury to your homeowner’s policy by endorsement. And it is too affordable to pass up! Especially if you have anyone in your household that tends to get carried away on social media.
How Much Coverage?
Liability limits on homeowner policies range from $100,000 to $500,000. Legal defense costs could easily exceed those amounts. Purchasing an umbrella policy could provide additional protection for up to $1,000,000. The premiums on an umbrella policy are mere pennies for that amount of additional protection. When it comes to protecting what’s important to you, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
A Blessing and a Curse
While social media is a blessing, it is also a curse. There is a million “what if” situations to consider before posting on social media. So, it’s important to just be careful and think before you post. What you may think you’re posting as a joke, others may see as completely bigoted or hurtful. Give our office a call today at 405-769-6701 or send us an email to make sure your homeowner’s policy will protect you in the event social media causes disaster to strike in your household.