Trimming your trees keeps them healthy and contained in your yard. But what happens if your tree trimmer cuts a branch that falls onto your neighbor's shed, causing damage? Do you have to pay, or would it be the responsibility of the company working on your house?

The answer depends on a few things, but a good place to start is with a Mississippi independent insurance agent. An agent can tell you when you're responsible or when it may be someone else. They can also make sure you're set up with the proper coverage to be protected if you are ever held financially responsible for an accident.

If My Tree Trimmer Causes Damage to My Neighbor’s Property, Who’s Responsible?

The person or company trimming your tree would be responsible for any damage they caused to your home or your neighbor's home. As a professional service, they're responsible for having business insurance for incidents like this, but it does happen that companies aren't insured as they are supposed to be. Whether you hire an individual contractor or a tree trimming company, it's best to ask if they're insured against incidents such as this. 

How Does Tree Trimming Business Insurance Work?

Every state has laws in place regarding mandatory business insurance coverage. In Mississippi, only specific businesses are required to have insurance.

• If the company uses vehicles for transportation
• If the company has five or more employees
• If the company has taken out a commercial loan

This means that a tree trimmer may or may not have coverage, depending on their situation. Before hiring any business or person to do work on your property, you can ask for their credentials and check that they have insurance coverage in place. Most tree trimming companies should have a business liability policy that would cover any damage they cause to your property or your neighbor's property without anyone having to take legal action.

Am I on the Hook for Any of the Damage?

You would not be responsible for any damage that your tree trimmer causes. However, if things worked out that the company did not have adequate insurance and you needed to file a claim, you could do so under your Mississippi home insurance policy. Your neighbor would also be covered under their home insurance policy for damage and tree branch removal. However, it's more ideal if the company responsible pays for the damage they caused, and it's a good idea to check if any company you plan on working with has this coverage.

What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover in Mississippi?

In addition to any potential accidents that are caused by keeping your landscape in tip-top shape, homeowners insurance is designed to protect your home, property, and possessions from several risks that you face. The four main coverages provided through home insurance include coverage for structural damage, coverage for personal property damage, liability coverage, and coverage for additional living expenses if you're displaced from your home.

Through these coverages, standard homeowners insurance will pay for damage from the following perils:

If any of the above should occur, you'd receive coverage for items such as:

A Mississippi independent insurance agent can go through a list of covered perils with you and help determine if you need any additional coverages on your policy.

Will My Mississippi Homeowners Insurance Offer Full Coverage for My Neighbor’s Property?

Suppose you end up needing to file a claim with your homeowners insurance for damage to your neighbor's property. In that case, you will receive coverage up to the property damage limits in your policy. You'd be responsible for paying your deductible before coverage would kick in.

Within homeowners insurance is a coverage known as "tree damage cleanup." Every insurance policy will list exactly what is covered under their tree damage cleanup, but this typically includes the removal of trees, branches, or shrubs if they damage property or are blocking a driveway. It may not cover clean-up if the trees or shrubs are simply in your yard and are not considered a hazard. 

What If the Damage Causes Serious Injury and Litigation?

Unfortunately, personal injury accidents do happen. If your neighbor happened to be inside the shed when the tree branch fell onto it, they could sue the tree company or you for their injuries and the property damage you caused. 

In this scenario, liability insurance would cover the claim. Liability provides two main coverages:

• Legal fees: Pays for the attorney, court, and legal fees, including any settlements you may be ordered to pay in the event your neighbor sues you.
• Medical payments: Pays for injuries to a third party, such as your neighbors or their guests, if a branch from one of your trees falls onto their property.

Fortunately, if your tree trimming company did not have insurance, your home insurance would protect you. 

How Can a Mississippi Independent Insurance Agent Help?

Unexpected events that cause damage to a neighbor's property are stressful. You want to keep the peace and take responsibility if you're at fault. A Mississippi independent insurance agent can ensure that you have the proper coverage in place long before an incident happens.

Agents will talk with you, free of charge, to review any existing policies or help you secure new coverage. If you need to file a claim, they can help you through the process. Work with an agent in your area today.