Guy Forks out! Don't be underinsured on Bonfire Night

It is the night that every A&E in the country dreads when rockets and sparklers make their annual appearance. esure home insurance is urging homeowners to check their home insurance is current and covers personal liability claims if the worst happens on Bonfire Night.

Around 2.8 million Brits (6 per cent) are planning to hold a bonfire night party at home this year with one in ten Brits (4.6 million) going round to friends and family for a private fireworks display. While home displays can be fun, they can lead to deeper problems than just injuries and upset if an accident occurs - particularly if the host has inadequate personal liability cover in their home insurance or even no home insurance at all.

Personal liability and fireworks

Personal liability claims usually occur when an individual is found to have behaved negligently resulting in a loss or injury to another party or their property. Claims are infrequent but can be very costly. Most home insurance contents policies provide a level of cover but people who have chosen not to take out cover could be left personally liable if a Bonfire Night celebration at their house goes wrong.

A badly-contained bonfire, a mis-handled firework, a box of fireworks left too close to flames, a loose Catherine wheel - these can all provide the basis for a hefty personal liability claim if someone is injured or property is damaged as a result. Legally, an organiser - even if they are simply a homeowner with a few friends round - must make sure they have not overlooked their 'duty of care' and failed to act on risks they should have foreseen.

esure's advice to homeowners is simple: don't risk it!

esure's Head of Risk and Underwriting, Mike Pickard, explains: "Fire is dangerous wherever it is but on Bonfire Night, the risks are magnified.

esure's home insurance includes £2million of cover for Personal Liability claims in every contents policy and this can provide essential cover for anyone who causes bodily injury or illness to a person, or loss or damage to another person's property. So if a firework is set off and it harms a guest, then they could sue the host personally for damages."

Without personal liability cover, a valid claim could be pursued against the assets of any individual including their earnings, property or other possessions. If the organiser has failed to read instructions, ignored recommended 'setting off' distances or lit fireworks while inebriated, a claim could easily ensue - especially given the growing public awareness of the potential for litigation.

Top tips for Bonfire Night from esure:

Attend a well-organised public display: public displays are required to fulfill all the necessary safety and risk-assessment obligations. They also have to have public insurance.

If you decide to light even a single firework at home, check you have home insurance with personal liability cover: accidents do happen and if you are found liable and don't have the necessary cover, your assets are at risk.

Follow safety precautions to the letter: safety instructions on fireworks are there for a reason. Don't let Bonfire Night bravado get the better of you.

Treat bonfires like bombs: a bonfire is an accident waiting to happen. It should be positioned well away from fences, trees and people; it should be kept under strict control and always have buckets of water at hand.

Don't drink and host: if you are in charge of lighting fireworks make sure you are clear-headed and able to concentrate by avoiding alcohol.