Diving Boards Can Negatively Impact Your Homeowners Insurance
Diving boards may be a thing of the past. If one looks back just 10 or 15 years ago in the swimming pool industry, they’ll find that roughly 90% of all inground swimming pools had a diving board. But today, the trend has done an almost complete 180 degree turn….diving boards have now essentially gone the way of the dinosaur and practically become extinct, as written by River Pools.
The obvious reasons for the diving board trend change is safety. Every year there are countless diving accidents that include: colliding with the diving board, diving into too shallow water, or slipping on the diving board.
And when there are unsafe conditions and people are getting hurt, insurance companies are going to notice. Insurance companies often won’t cover liability risks from diving boards on pools. In fact, a diving board may disqualify your house for a homeowners insurance policy from some insurers.
The Asbury Park Press ran a story recently with information about a local homeowner that was told to remove her diving board on her pool or her insurance would be canceled:
For Barbara Andersen’s home insurer, a Google Maps satellite view of her Brick home highlighted a problem. It was a diving board at the head of their backyard pool.
It was enough for the insurer, Farmers Insurance Co. of Flemington, to send her a notice of cancellation a little over two weeks ago. Why? “Failure to remove diving board and base from premises,” the notice said.
Andersen had to remove the diving board. And she’s not happy about it.
“My whole thing was the pool’s been here for 40 years,” Andersen said. She said an inspector came to her home in late January, but they were not home. The cancellation notice was the first she heard of the issue, she said.
Anderson contacted Press on Your Side for help. “I am beside myself,” she said.
Press on Your Side reached out to Farmers Insurance Co. of Flemington, based in Raritan Township. In a prepared statement Tuesday, Richard K. Hornick, vice president of underwriting, said the company contacted the Andersens’ insurance agent, who informed the insurer that the diving board has already been removed. Andersen said it was dismantled recently.
No more diving boards?
Hornick explained Farmers’ policy towards diving boards.
“Risks with hazards such as diving boards, trampolines or water slides are not eligible for coverage with us since these hazards do not fall within our underwriting appetite or pricing structure,” Hornick said. “These are fairly common guidelines throughout the industry since use of this type of equipment is intrinsically dangerous, often resulting in significant personal injuries, frequently to children.”
According to a study by Columbus, Ohio-based National Children’s Hospital, more than 6,500 children and adolescents are treated for diving-related injuries each year. The leading cause: collision with the diving board or platform.
The most common injuries were to the head, neck or face, the study said. A flip, handstand or backward dive “dramatically increased” the possibility of injury, according to the study.
It’s enough to make an insurer nervous. And it’s common for an insurer to balk at covering diving boards, water slides and backyard trampolines.
“They are enormous liability problems,” said Kenneth Auerbach, managing director and general counsel at E&K Agency Inc. in Eatontown and past president of theNational Association of Professional Insurance Agents.“Kids are hurt all the time on trampolines, on diving boards.”
It is possible to buy a rider to cover a diving board, if an insurer allows it at all. But even these are not popular with insurers. Out of eight to 10 carriers represented by E&K, maybe one or two would entertain covering a diving board, said Jeanne M. Cosentino, the agency’s personal insurance services manager.
And what about a pool itself? They are a risk that insurers are willing to take.
“We won’t write a risk with a pool unless it is located inside a locked, fenced area,” Hornick said. “We are willing to assume that level of risk, but not the added risk of catastrophic diving board injuries.”
Although diving boards are undeniably fun, what children really want is to swim. If kids have water, they’re going to have fun. Most children are quite content having a swimming pool without a diving board. Be safe and be smart regarding your homeowner’s insurance. Contact your local insurance agent or LG Insurance Agency in Long Branch, NJ to find out if your diving board is covered by your current homeowners insurance policy.
All content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only. Topics discussed on this blog relate to insurance products and issues in a general application, and are not an offer of insurance, a guarantee of coverage, or applicable to specific and individual circumstances. Contact LG Insurance Agency for questions and information specific to your insurance needs.
