Taking your boat out on the water is a great way to spend quality family time during your summer weekends. Owning a watercraft comes with many different responsibilities, and just like any vehicle, you should have an insurance policy. Here are three things to know about boaters insurance.
Liability Coverage
Almost all boat insurance policies Fort Myers FL include standard liability coverage. Having this insurance pays if your boat is involved in an accident on the water. It covers expenses resulting from physical damage of another person’s property and injuries to anyone in the other party. Liability insurance also helps pay for any legal fees that arise from the accident.
Physical Damage Coverage
In addition to protecting other people’s property, it’s a smart idea to purchase additional physical damage coverage for your boat. Including this in your policy means you can repair your boat if it hits the dock and is damaged, runs over a rock that rips a hole in the bottom and removes it if the boat sinks. This also covers loss to any property you have onboard the boat and if it gets stolen. Since a boat is an investment, protecting it is essential.
Medical Payments for Your Passengers
Though boating is a relatively safe hobby, accidents to your passengers can happen. Water can make the walkways slippery, and someone can fall and get injured. A passenger can tip overboard or slip when climbing aboard. Bodily Injury Coverage provides medical payments for those who are wounded, including someone who skis or rides an inflatable behind your boat, regardless of who is at fault. This means if another boat crashes into you, and they don’t carry insurance, any injures are covered.
Knowing that your watercraft insurance policy protects your boat, its passengers and other people on the water makes it easier to enjoy your time.