Summer is nearly here and it’s time to start thinking about firework nights, lake weekends and maximizing your outdoor time while the weather is good. While you’re gearing up for the excitement of summer, don’t forget to prepare for the potential risks as well. We’ve outlined some summer insurance tips to help you prepare to have the best summer yet.

Common summer insurance claims

When you know common summer risks and potential situations that would require insurance claims, you can take steps to prevent them. A great place to start is installing smoke detectors and security systems, securing outdoor cooking equipment and swimming pools and practicing safe driving with your ATV. By doing this prep work, you’ll be better prepared to prevent accidents or the need to file a claim.

Some risks are specific to summer, or are more likely to occur in summer. Here is a list of common summer insurance claims and tips on what to be aware of.

• Outdoor fires – These can cause damage to your property, especially if the fire gets out of control and spreads to your home. Wildfires are a common, and commonly feared, cause of outdoor fires. However, fires can be caused by seemingly safe activities as well, including things like setting off fireworks or cooking on an outdoor grill. In some cases, outdoor fires can also cause injuries to people on your property, or damage to your neighbors' property.
• Drownings – This is a serious risk, particularly for families with small children. If you have a swimming pool or other body of water on your property, it's important to take steps to ensure that children are supervised at all times. Also consider that pools are an attractive nuisance. This means that you need to take reasonable precautions to secure the area.
• Boating accidents – All boat owners are at risk of being involved in a boating accident. This could result in damage to your boat or injuries to you, your passengers or other people on the water.
• Home burglary – Summer brings a lot of home burglaries because homeowners are away, presenting thieves with the opportunity to strike. You could lose valuable possessions and suffer damage to your property during the burglary. There is also a risk of personal harm to people who are present during a home break-in.