Insurance and sleepovers

Q: My daughter's having a friend over for a sleepover. If the friend trips and falls or something, would my homeowners policy cover her medical bills?

A: Generally yes, since most modern homeowners policies have what's known as "guest medical" coverage. This is designed to pay the medical bills -- up to a specified dollar limit per accident -- for accidental injury to guests. But it doesn't cover you or other resident family members.

The coverage is a no-fault type of coverage that is designed to apply to accidents with no determination of fault or negligence on your part. Your insurer will still do an investigation to gather the facts of the accident.

Note: This is one of a series of common -- or in some cases, particularly unusual -- questions received by our consumer advocacy staff, who answer questions from consumers.
Got a question or insurance problem of your own? If you live in Washington, feel free to give us a call, toll-free at 1-800-562-6900. We'll do our best to help. (And if you live in another state or territory, here's a handy map that lists the contact info for your local insurance regulatory office.)