Of course the vacant property owner needs insurance coverage! Insurance companies will emphatically inform you of all general liability risks, as well as bodily injury and property damage perils that exist in a vacant home, building or lot. But don’t take a blanket statement on this until you see for yourself some examples of very real claims. For your information, professional agents bring you these earthly scenarios!

vacant land

• The owner of a vacant lot in the downtown area had a protective chain-link gate built around the property. However, as time passed, age and weather conditions took their toll on the coating. The fence was no longer in the best condition when a passerby sustained an eye injury as a result of a protruding chain link. The lawsuit ended with the insurance policy bearing the brunt of defense costs and mediation resulting in a $350,000 payout.

• A pedestrian slipped on the sidewalk that ran alongside a vacant lot. His injury consisted of a hip fracture. The women alleged that the leaves that had fallen to the sidewalk from the lot were the cause of his misfortune. An insurance claim settlement of $200,000 was reached. This included the $16,000 set aside for defense expenses.

• A motorcyclist was hit by a car. After the car accident, the responsible party filed a lawsuit against the owner of the neighboring vacant lot, claiming that the lot’s sign prevented him from seeing traffic. It was determined that the signals had no effect on the cause of the collision. Related expenses totaled $7,500.

• A man riding his bicycle around a fenced-in vacant lot was injured by a broken portion of the property’s fence sticking out. After filing a lawsuit, the man was awarded $45,000 in damages. The policyholder’s insurance also paid $20,000 in legal fees. Ultimately, however, an adjudication appeal resolved the issue. The payment included $30,000 of defense expenses paid for coverage.

• Right next to a public sports field was a vacant lot. Although sports fans parked their cars and trucks on public property, one incident occurred involving a dead tree branch located on the adjacent private vacant lot. With three workers’ cars damaged, a claim was filed resulting in $12,000 in compensation.

• Teenage boys illegally used their free time to smoke on a vacant lot, starting a forest fire. The fire soon spread throughout the property, setting neighboring houses ablaze. The owner of the vacant lot was partially responsible for the damage and replacement cost of the property totaling $6,500.