{"id":5528,"date":"2022-04-25T16:10:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-25T20:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/non-classe\/what-is-liability-insurance\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T11:18:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T15:18:27","slug":"what-is-liability-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/understanding-insurance\/what-is-liability-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"What is liability insurance?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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April 25, 2022<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n

Did you set fire to the cottage you rented while cooking? Did your child break the neighbour\u2019s window while playing baseball in the street? Your liability insurance could be a great help in protecting you in these kinds of situations. Here is an overview to better understand this protection and keep your peace of mind! <\/p>\n

First and foremost, home insurance policies automatically include liability coverage, whether you are a tenant, homeowner or co-owner. This protection applies to everyone living under your roof, against lawsuits or claims if you ever injure someone or accidentally damage their property. If you are sued for a loss covered by your policy, your insurer will also defend you at its expense. <\/p>\n

However, the type of protection you need may vary depending on your situation. Here are a few examples to help you see things more clearly. <\/p>\n

You run a business from home<\/h2>\n

Does your client get injured when coming to meet you? Are you sued by someone who suffered harm after using the product you sell? The liability coverage in your home insurance only covers your personal activities. Therefore, plan for additional coverage that will also cover your business activities. <\/p>\n

You drive in the United States<\/h2>\n

If you are injured in a road accident, the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 de l\u2019assurance automobile du Qu\u00e9bec will compensate you. Unfortunately, this is not the case for non-Quebec passengers in the other vehicle. In fact, the property damage or bodily injury they suffered is covered by the liability coverage included in your auto insurance. So, make sure you are adequately protected. <\/p>\n

You have a pool<\/h2>\n

Normally, damage caused to others or their property (hello leaking pool and flooding at the neighbour\u2019s!) is covered by the liability portion of your home insurance. However, you need an endorsement to also protect your pool, your water heater or your spa against breakage, as these are not covered under the basic policy. <\/p>\n

You have a dog<\/h2>\n

Does your dog bite your neighbour, dig up their flowerbeds or attack their cat? Normally, you are covered against this kind of damage. However, you must inform your broker that you own a pet. Likewise, if you did not take reasonable precautions to prevent your animal from attacking, you could be accused of criminal negligence. In that case, your claim would be denied. <\/p>\n

You travel outside the country<\/h2>\n

Your liability coverage follows you everywhere, including when travelling! So, if you injure someone while skiing down a mountain in the Swiss Alps, you will be protected. Nevertheless, make sure the amount provided is adequate. While policies usually cover losses up to $1M, it is generally recommended that you insure yourself for $2M to cover all contingencies. <\/p>\n

You volunteer<\/h2>\n

As a volunteer, your activities are automatically protected against lawsuits and claims by your home insurance. However, the amounts claimed can be considerable. <\/p>\n

You own a building<\/h2>\n

Building owners are protected by their home insurance for liability. However, in the case of an income property you do not occupy, it may be wise to increase your coverage. Indeed, it will be more difficult for you to be attentive to the slightest sign of wear (a wobbly step) or to check that the stairs are not icy. <\/p>\n

Need additional coverage?<\/h2>\n

In some situations, basic policies are not enough. It may then be worthwhile to consider additional insurance that increases your liability coverage up to $5M. <\/p>\n

Check with your insurance broker to see whether you are sufficiently protected. They can suggest the ideal coverage to keep your peace of mind in all circumstances. <\/p>\n

This site provides general information only. Please refer to your insurance policy, which prevails at all times. <\/p>\n<\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/section>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"class_list":["post-5528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-understanding-insurance"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5528"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5530,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5528\/revisions\/5530"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}