CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — While the holidays are a time filled with happiness and gatherings with friends and family, these celebrations are not immune to fires, thefts and other unfortunate incidents that could occur at your home.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, most standard homeowners insurance plans provide coverage for the structure of your home, your personal belongings, liability protection and additional living expenses. These categories cover most disasters that may arise during the holidays, such as the following list by the Voss Law Firm:

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Fire Damage

Homeowner insurance should cover fire damage caused by candles, cooking and kitchen fires, Christmas tree fires and fires caused by decorations and lights. You can minimize the risk of fires by keeping your Christmas trees watered and away from heat, inspecting holiday lights, using battery-operated candles instead of real ones, and keeping real candles at least a foot away from anything that burns.

Theft

While home insurance should cover breaking and entering and stolen property, it may not cover the theft of a specific item or gift; this may require a separate policy because most plans do not cover items that are not on your home contents list, according to InterWest Insurance Services. Plans should also cover the outside of your home, so if Christmas decorations are stolen or if something is stolen from your car outside, it should be covered.

Vandalism

If someone destroys a light installation or any other decorations, you can file a claim to cover the damage’s cost. There are many reasons why insurance may deny your claim, such as not submitting a police report while stating your claim, using holiday lights not certified by Underwriters Labor (check for the UL symbol when choosing your lights) or negligent installation of decorations.

Injuries

Should someone get hurt at your holiday gathering, “your medical payments coverage in your homeowner’s insurance policy can help pay for immediate medical expenses. This is usually limited to $1000 to $5000,” according to Voss Law Firm. If the injury is more severe, consider a personal liability coverage claim.

Some insurance plans may also cover some alcohol-related incidents. According to the Insurance Information Institute, if someone leaves your house intoxicated and crashes their car on the way home, a social host is not responsible for injuries to the intoxicated guest but may be held liable if any third parties, such as passengers, are injured. These incidents fall under the “social host liability” or the “liquor liability”, but the laws surrounding it can vary greatly depending on where you live.

In West Virginia, the “dram shop law” makes establishments that serve alcohol responsible for refusing service to a patron who is clearly intoxicated, according to Columbo Law. However, WV Code §60-3A-25 only references “retail licensees” and their employees.

Identity/Credit Card Theft

In the age of online shopping, it’s easy to have your identity or credit card stolen, if you aren’t careful. Different homeowners insurance companies may include identity theft protection in their plans, while others may require an extra fee or endorsement.

Huntington Bank recommends taking steps to keep your money and identity safe such as checking your account activity daily, only doing business with companies you know and trust, checking privacy policies, watching out for fake “look-alike” websites, being aware of phishing scams, not sharing passwords or personal information, and making sure your security software is up to date.

The Insurance Information Institute says that if you are the victim of a cyber crime, report it to the store and police, which will help you if you decide to file an insurance claim.

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Several other holiday disasters may not be covered by homeowners insurance, such as sewage backup caused by improper disposal of paper or insoluble substances in drains and toilets or intentional acts.

Be sure to check with your insurance provider if you have any questions about what your specific plan covers.

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