“A California Fire Sparked by A Gender Reveal Party Has Grown to More Than 10,000 Acres”
“Miami Gender Reveal Party Criticized for Polluting Beach”
“Soon to Be Father Killed Planning Gender Reveal Party as Device Explodes In New York”
These are a few of the many headlines that tell the stories of gender reveal parties gone wrong. The idea of having a party to announce the gender of your child became widely popular in 2008 when a popular blogger announced the birth of her daughter with a cake with pink icing on the inside.
Since then, these parties have grown larger than life with explosions, fires, animal cruelty claims, and pollution issues. Gender reveal parties can and have resulted in massive liability issues which are very costly. For example, in 2017, one of these parties started a wildfire that destroyed over 45,000 acres of land and resulted in the family being ordered to pay more than $8 million in damages.
How does one try to protect themselves?
Before we go any further, it is very important to note that liability insurance is a broad term that describes coverage to help protect the insured if they are found legally liable for a claim and can include defense costs in the event of a lawsuit. The insurance policy has specific coverage limits and exclusions that apply. In the extreme examples shown above, we are unsure if insurance covered any or all of the financial responsibility of the insured. You should always discuss your policy coverage, conditions, and exclusions with your insurance agent. Now let’s continue…
Personal liability refers to protection for the insured to pay for claims of bodily injury and property damage sustained by others for which the insured or covered resident of your household is legally liable.
Most homeowner’s and renter’s policies include personal liability coverage. Depending on the carrier, you can typically purchase anywhere from $100,000 to $1,000,000 in personal liability coverage. A personal umbrella policy may also be purchased for additional liability protection over and above another insurance policy.
Gender reveal parties can be an exciting time, but they can be very dangerous. When elements like explosives or dangerous animals become involved, your risk factor skyrockets. However, even if you are taking the safe route and popping a balloon with confetti or slicing into a cake to reveal colored icing, any event can have liability risks. Be sure to ask your insurance agent how you can protect yourself should an accident occur.
