A cornerstone of Halloween — little kids and their parents scampering door to door in search of candy — is a source of hair-raising risk for homeowners, according to a homeowners insurance expert weighing in recently in three risks associated with the holiday.
“(Halloween) actually presents a scary situation you may not think about — a potentially expensive Halloween-related lawsuit,” wrote Pat Howard, a personal finance writer at Policygenius Magazine, in a blog post in late September. “Any accidents that happen on your property during the spookiest day of the year is a liability risk for homeowners, so it’s important to make sure you have enough homeowners insurance.”
Mr. Howard goes on to list three major risks: more property crime, from egging one’s front door to toilet-papering one’s lawn, or “vandalism” in insurance-speak; the premises liability that kicks in if a trick-or-treater trips over decorations and needs costly medical attention as a result; and lastly, fire hazards associated with candles and other flammable décor that aims to create a festive, spooky mood.
“Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep ... until you’ve blown out all of the candles,” Mr. Howard wrote.
Employers in Los Angeles grappling with what to do when it comes to workplace drug testing and pot legalization might hope their employees avoid this place for lunch.