Accidents are the leading cause of death in people under 45, and they account for about a third of all injury-related emergency room visits, according to the CDC. In-home accidents are also the leading cause of homeowners insurance claims, but there are many things you can do to reduce your risk.

• Dog Bites – There are over a million instances of dog bites every year. The CDC recently estimated the number to be as high as 4.7 million. Every year, over half a million dog bite victims have injuries serious enough to send them to the emergency room, and dog bite claims are driving insurance premiums up. Know what you can do to prevent dog bites, and make sure your family and friends are safe around your pets.
• Slips and Falls – Falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for children up to age 19, and approximately 8,000 kids are rushed to the emergency room every day for injuries resulting from falls. To keep kids safe, always supervise their playtime, and use safety gates to keep toddlers away from stairs. One-third of all seniors also take a tumble every year. While falling down may not seem like a serious problem for most adults, older folks have brittle bones and falls commonly lead to hip fracture and even premature death. To keep your home safe, eliminate tripping hazards, add grab bars and railings, and make sure there’s adequate light.
• Fireworks – According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, seven people died and approximately 7,000 were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries in 2008. Most of these took place in the weeks surrounding Independence Day, and of those injuries, more than 40% were children under 15. Always supervise children when using fireworks, and leave the large displays to professionals.
• Poisoning – In 2008, more than 2,000 people a day were seen in emergency rooms due to accidental poisonings, and poisoning death rates went up by 63% from 1999 to 2004. With such a dramatic rise in fatalities, it’s more important now than ever to pay special attention to household chemicals. Don’t store food and chemicals together, and always keep substances in their original containers to avoid confusion.
• Accidental Fires – Deaths from fires and burns are the fifth most common cause of accidental death in the U.S., and the third-leading cause of home accident fatalities. To keep your loved ones safe from fire, install approved smoke detectors and routinely check batteries. Keep cooking areas free of fabrics, and use caution when operating space heaters.
• Choking – In 2000, 160 children ages under 15 died from choking. More than half of these cases involved non-food items such as toys being ingested by children. When you consider that every choking death represents about 100 trips to the emergency room, you start to grasp the size and scope of the problem. To keep kids safe, keep dangerous toys, foods, and household items out of reach, and always supervise children at play.

While the current housing crisis may find you occasionally wishing that your house would just burn down so you could walk away from it and your mortgage without destroying your credit, the truth is that these tragedies hurt you in more ways than most people would think of. Here are some of the many ways in which losing your home to a fire can hurt you, many of which your homeowners insurance can’t do anything about:

1. Loss of a place to live. This is the most obvious, and the one you’ve probably already thought of, so we’ll start here. No one likes to move. Well, no one normal, anyway. Losing your home to a fire doesn’t leave you much choice in the matter. You’re going to need to find someplace else to live.
2. Loss of personal possessions. Most of us really don’t have any idea how much money’s worth of stuff that we have. Take a quick inventory of all the things in your house that could be lost in a fire and you’ll begin to realize that you’re dealing with a small fortune. Replacing all of the average family’s clothing alone can cost thousands of dollars. What’s worse is that some homeowners insurance policies don’t cover the valuable you lose in a fire.
3. Loss of sentimental items. There are some things that money can never replace. Children’s favorite toys or blankets come to mind. Photographs, of course, may be gone forever. Look through your house. Chances are there is sentimental value attached to all kinds of things that you really wouldn’t think twice about until it was lost.
4. Loss of life. No one wants to think about this happening to a loved one, but house fires do claim many lives. Make sure that your family has a plan for how to get out of the house in the event of a fire, and that everyone knows the plan thoroughly.
5. Emotional losses. We know of one family whose children had migraines for several years after a house fire, reputedly due to the emotional stress. Additionally, those who have lived through house fires often claim an acute emotional sadness which comes on them when they look for something, only to realize that they lost in the fire. This can even happen two or three years after a fire.

Let’s hope you never have to go through a house fire. But in case you ever do, make sure that you are adequately insured and that your insurance includes such things as living expenses while you are looking for new housing arrangements and the replacement of your valuables.

If you are an average American home owner, chances are you are paying more for your homeowners insurance than you need to. Most insurance companies have their agent or another representative, often a third party company that specializes in gauging insurance risk, check out your home and property. This inspection is often completed without your knowledge, or even while you are away.

Most insurance agents won’t tell you what you can do to get a better rate on your homeowners insurance because they are paid on a percentage basis. So, for them, the more you spend on homeowners insurance, the better. They don’t even need to fear competition, because the things which insurance companies charge more for are fairly universal.

Here are some simple things you can do to save money on homeowners insurance:

• Remove all knob and tube wiring. If you have an older house, you might have some of this old fashioned wiring still in the basement, often because a contractor never took it down when the home was rewired. If your house is still actually using knob and tube, call an electrician and have it replaced right away. It presents a fire hazard. Even if it’s not functional, though, an insurance company can rate you simply for having it still hanging there.

• Cut down all trees near the house. If you really must have trees close to the house, at least make sure that no branches are touching the house, especially the roof. Better yet, make sure that no trees are even overhanging the roof, as insurance companies will charge you more because of the danger of storms knocking the limbs down.

• Keep all wood piles away from the house. Also clear out any brush or dry vegetation close to the house.

• Don’t keep old cars or appliances close to the house. This may sound crazy that we even need to mention it, but you’d be surprised how many houses keep old appliances and cars around the yard. If you must keep such things (to sell for scrap or whatever), at least put a fence around them.

• Fence in any pools or trampolines. Insurance agents lick their chops when they see these things left unlocked, because your insurance is going to cost you more.

• Make simple repairs. Don’t let things like broken windows, cracked sidewalks, or missing shingles or siding go unattended. This makes insurance companies believe you are more likely to need to make claims in the future, which means they will charge you more for your homeowners insurance.

Image by Clarity J

You won’t catch us saying “trust the government” very often, but when it comes to dealing with issues concerning your home ownership, you might want to at least check with the government concerning anyone who claims they are going to help you. With the exception of your mortgage company, your homeowners insurance company, and your immediate relatives, most of the organizations who offer you unsolicited help will only help relieve your bank account of what little you have left.

Let’s face it, we were all hit by the housing bubble. Our home values dropped, many of us were stuck with increased payments due to adjustable rate mortgages cranking the interest rates sky high, and some have even lost their homes to foreclosure. Unfortunately, the best homeowners insurance in the world doesn’t protect us from any of those things.

If you’re behind on your mortgage payments and in danger of facing foreclosure, your bank or lending institution has to file claims with your local courts. Unfortunately, these are public records which can be viewed by anyone. They are often published in the local newspaper, so any scam artist or con man can easily tell whom they can target.

Many of the scams being run offer help protecting you from foreclosure in return for a one time fee, typically $1,000 or more. The reason why the fee is one time, of course, is that the con artist will be long gone with the cash from every sucker who gave him money long before he would’ve been able to collect a second fee anyway.

So, who can you trust? Believe it or not, for this one, it’s the government and your lender.

Your first course of action if you are in danger of losing your home should be to contact your lender. They are thoroughly versed with all of the latest government programs which are designed to help you stay in your home. And in today’s market, they are more than happy to try to do whatever it takes to help keep you in your home. They would much rather get you back on track with your mortgage than be stuck with a foreclosure that will be sold for half of what you owe on it due to plummeting home values.

If you think you may have already been scammed, contact your local authorities immediately. They represent your best chances of being able to recover your money and bring con artists to justice.

Image by neighborworksamerica

These days, those who choose to heat their homes with wood have plenty of options , including the following:

• Fireplaces. While we wouldn’t seriously suggest anyone use fireplaces as their primary heat source these days, many people do supplement their home heating with fireplaces. On top of giving a wonderful, dry heat, a fireplace adds ambiance and charm to your home.

• Wood Stoves. Growing up, we had a wood furnace, and it kept the house nice and warm. Of course, we had several acres of trees, so it was more economical for us than for others. Wood stoves come in many different sizes and styles, from those which are meant to be used as a space heater to those which are designed to heat an entire house.

• Pellet Stoves. These are one of the newer additions. Not only can you burn wood pellets (which are mostly sawdust), but you can buy pellet stoves that will burn corn (it smells like popcorn when it burns), cherry pits, and several other naturally combustible substances. Again, these are made in various sizes, some of which are capable of heating a large farm house.

Of course, if you do choose to fully or partially heat your home with wood or other natural substances, you’re going to want to minimize the risk of fire in your home. Here are some basic things you can do to mitigate the chances of a fire. Incidentally, they’ll also save you a little on your homeowners insurance.

• Make sure that your stove is at least 6 inches away from the wall.

• Make sure that the exhaust has a metal sleeve around it where it touches the wall.

• Make sure that your wood stove is off of the floor. Typically, it should be set on bricks, cinder blocks, metal legs, or something else no flammable.

• Make sure that you store your fuel at least 10 feet away from the heater.

• In the case of fireplaces, never leave a fire burning unattended.

Photo via Robbie1

Injuries that occur at home are one of the top reasons for emergency room visits each year. Whether it is falling from a wobbly ladder or a child putting a small object in their mouth, these are the types of accidents that can be prevented with just a little foresight and preparation. For this reason, it is important for consumers to be aware of the pitfalls to safety that can be present in their homes. The following blogs have thorough and practical information that is applicable to keeping everyone safe in their homes, regardless of whether they live in a house or an apartment.

1. Sandwich Ink: This blog gives advice about keeping seniors safe to the “sandwich” generation, the generation that is taking care of both their children and their parents.
2. Seabridge Bathing Blog: This blog entry reminds seniors, and those people who care for and love seniors, about the home safety issues that are of particular importance to this segment of the population.
3. Pocket Change: This blog entry features gadgets such as smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms that are essential to ensure that a family is safe in their home.
4. HJDS Investment Group: This blog entry tells consumers about the common mistakes that are made in regards to home safety.
5. Caring Companions: A blog entry that focuses on keeping seniors safe during the cold days of winter.
6. My Philly Lawyer: This blog entry, written by a lawyer in Philadelphia, focuses on the safety issues surrounding swimming pools as well as the responsibilities that come with pool ownership.
7. Family Home Security: This blog focuses on helping people keep their home safe by covering many different aspects of home safety including keeping children safe.
8. She Knows: This blog article features some tips on staying safe while entertaining in the home.
9. Do it Yourself: These articles give consumers lots of tips about how to stay safe when dealing with electricity.
10. Home Safety Tips: This article focuses on safety tips to keep in mind when consumers attempt home improvement jobs around the house.
11. Home Security: This article details some items consumers need to be aware of in order to be safe in their homes
12. Do it Yourself HQ: This entry offers some timely tips to remind consumers about being safe while using power tools.
13. Solar Power: This blog entry cautions people about being safe with their solar power battery banks.
14. Ask the Electrician: This article details a variety of ways in which people need to be safe around electricity.
15. Natural Handyman: The Natural Handyman has a handy article that gives consumers great advice about how to make a backyard playground a safe area.
16. Atlanta Injury Attorneys: A blog article that deals things consumers need to know concerning the prevention of burns.
17. Crime, Safety, Security: This website is full of tips for families to keep themselves and their family members safe.
18. Mrs. Fixit: Mrs. Fixit gives consumers advice about how to enjoy the beauty of candles in the house in a safe way.
19. House Plans and More Blog: This blog entry gives lots of information about how consumers can be safe around pools.
20. GaGa Sisterhood: In this blog entry, the writer reminds people how to keep children safe around water.
21. Creating Communities: This blog details a wide assortment of safety tips in celebration of June as Safety Month.
22. Mommy B Knows Best: This mother discusses keeping children safe and baby proofing the home.
23. Ron Hazelton: Ron Hazelton’s blog details how to keep children safe in the home.
24. All Things Frugal: The blog focuses on frugality and offers some tips on how to keep older adults safe in the home.
25. Life 360: This blog entry focuses on summer tips safety tips.
26. Blog4Safety: This blog entry offers some tips for consumers to stay safe during hurricane season.
27. Community Blog: This blog entry gives a number of tips to keep young babies safe.
28. Home Safety Blog: This entry details some pitfalls consumers need to be aware of in order to stay safe in their homes.
29. Listen 2 Your Gut: This blog entry brings consumers’ attention to the safety of Wi-Fi for children in the home.
30. Debra’s List: Debra details some simple ways that consumers can be safer in their homes.
31. My Child Safety: This blog entry gives detailed information about ensuring children stay safe around water.
32. Earth Easy: This blog entry gives consumers lots of alternatives to toxic cleaners that are often used in the homes thus filled the home with noxious fumes that can make it unsafe for people.
33. American Safe Room: This blog entry gives details on building a safe room appropriate for use during a natural or man made disaster.
34. Six Wise: This blog entry reminds consumers about how dangerous small appliances can be.
35. How Cast: This article offers lots of easy to implement ideas for keeping older people safe in their homes.
36. Fake Kid: This blog article goes consumers many suggestions for keeping children safe at home.
37. Security Choice: A blog entry that details numerous ways for people to keep their families safe.
38. Home Inspector Locator: This blog has a thorough listing of many safety tips and resources designed to keep people safe in their homes.
39. Home Safety: This article discusses in detail how to keep seniors safe from the most common household accidents.
40. Apartment Search: Although targeted to apartment dwellers, these safety tips can be applied to any to help stay safe in the home.
41. Apartments.com: This blog entry is full of safety tips that people that rent apartments will appreciate.
42. Home Insurance: This blog has a number of safety tips geared toward the summer time. They are conveniently group by category.
43. Gomestic: This blog gives many practical solutions to help consumers ensure their home is safe for their toddler.
44. Christian Homemaking: This blog entry gives consumers 15 ways to stay safe from house fires.
45. I Think Therefore I Blog: This blog entry focuses on helping consumers stay safe while using space heaters.
46. Hibber Bothwell: This blog features a host of safety tips for those households with babies.
47. Quazen:  This blog entry details ways to ensure that consumers are safe in their homes, one room at a time.
48. Daily Puppy: This blog gives simple and concrete ways for consumers to stay safe in the home.
49. My Precious Kid: This blog details how people can keep the children in the house safe from large televisions.
50. Home Evolutions: This blog focuses on keeping the older segment of the population safe in their homes.
51. Oregon Injury Attorney: This blog entry details the dangers of mini blind cords to children in the home.

Not only do you need to invest in physical home security, you also need to be concerned about cyber home security. If hackers can get into your home computer, they can cause all sorts of havoc. From identity theft to destruction of your data, there are many risks involved. Worst of all, your homeowners insurance isn’t going to protect you from financial losses that occur because of a cyber-attack.

Here are some ways your home might be vulnerable to hackers:

• Phone call hacking. With the rise in popularity of Bluetooth devices, your communications are now vulnerable. Whether it’s the Bluetooth in your phone or your computer, you’re at risk. The best way to avoid Bluetooth hacking is to turn off Bluetooth when you’re not using it, and to turn off the “discoverable” mode on your phone.
• Printer hacking. A cyber criminal could break into your home, steal your printer and potentially retrieve the past several printouts. Today’s printers actually store some of your data in memory, and usually that includes the previous print jobs. Those printouts might have personally identifying information. You can file the stolen printer on your insurance, but good luck with the ensuing identity theft.
• Display interception. Installing a simple device known as a “Tempest receiver,” a hacker can intercept the transmissions between your computer and monitor. Make sure you regularly check your computer for devices that weren’t there before.
• Vacation Tweets. Some folks are prone to announcing to the world when they will be gone on vacation. If someone follows you on Twitter or is a Facebook friend, they could feasibly know when you’re going to be gone and rob your house.
• Wireless hacking. Many people don’t even turn on the basic security features of their wireless router. It takes very little time and effort, and no specialized equipment, for a hacker to get into your unsecured wireless network and get access to your data.

Photo via altemark

One of the most common side effects of a natural disaster is a power outage. Whether a tree falls on your house or whether you have golf ball sized hail that blows a transformer, power outages just happen. In many cases, a power outage is the first stage in a natural disaster.

Here are some things you can do ahead of time in order to prepare for a power outage:

• Get some emergency supplies. You don’t want to be the one running out to find supplies when there’s no power on the grid for 100 miles. There are some important items you should have on hand that can help you get through a power outage. You should have several dozen candles, for example. Matches and lighters are useful, too. You might consider a battery-operated space heater, or a space heater that uses some kind of gas and is safe indoors. You’ll want to have flashlights and batteries. You should have some canned goods and dry foods, as well as some fresh water and juices. Make sure you have some extra blankets, too.
• Be prepared to keep warm. You should have plenty of extra clothes in case you lose power to your home’s heating system. Be smart about the cold, too. Don’t turn on your gas stove to provide heat. Use space heaters that are approved for indoor use, and that will automatically shut off if they tip over.

Be realistic about risks. If you live in an area that’s on the coast and there is a hurricane warning, be smart about it. No one is going to fault you if you head for higher ground. You’re much better off spending a couple of nights at a hotel 50 miles away just to be safe than you are being at home if disaster strikes. If there is imminent danger, get out.

Photo via edkohler

Here are some things you need to keep in mind when evaluating the trees in your yard:

• A well-trained landscaper or arborist is you best resource. If you really want to know whether a tree is in danger of falling and causing damage, you need to rely on an expert. If you’re in doubt after going through the rest of this list, call up a professional and set up a time that they can come out and inspect the tree.
• Look for signs of weakness. Specifically, you’re looking for things like signs of branch dieback, or injury to the tree or branches. You should also look to see if branches seem to be growing together, which will form a narrow angle. This will make it so that weak bark will protrude up out of where the branches join. This creates what’s known as a “nose” on the tree, and it isn’t a good thing.
• Look at the groundwork around the tree. Groundwork can damage a tree. Whether it’s a new patio or remodeling that you’ve done in the past few years, be aware that there could be damage to the roots. Roots are, for the most part, within the top 12 inches of the soil. If you dug down eight inches to pave your sidewalk, you probably had to interfere with the roots.
• Identify potential targets. A tree isn’t a hazard unless there’s a target of some sort for it to fall on. If a tree isn’t near your house, where you park your car, or important landscaping, then there probably isn’t too much of a reason to spend a long time looking at it.

What you don’t want to do is neglect it entirely. If there’s real danger that a tree is going to fall, you need to deal with it before it becomes a problem. The last thing you want to do is explain to your homeowners insurance agent how you “almost” cut that tree down six months before it destroyed your home.

Photo via pixelnaiad

You need to understand that carbon monoxide levels of 10 percent can cause symptoms that are similar to a cold or the flu. They can include things like fatigue, headache, irregular breathing, confusion, coughing and nausea. If everyone in your home is experiencing these symptoms, it could be related to carbon monoxide.

At levels above 20 percent, things become much more serious. At that level, you can lose consciousness, enter a coma or even die.

There are a number of things that can cause high levels of carbon monoxide. The primary causes of carbon monoxide tend to be furnaces, oil heaters and fireplace flues.

Other potential sources of carbon monoxide that can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning include appliances that run on gas, such as a stove, a water heater or a clothes dryer.

Fumes from automobiles can cause a buildup of carbon monoxide, too. In most states, however, building codes require that your garage be lower in the ground than your main floor and that there are vent holes to allow exhaust to escape at the bottom of your outside walls.

If you think you or someone in your family might be experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning, you should evacuate the house. Call emergency services, and contact your local fire department, as well.

The best way to combat carbon monoxide is to regularly have your furnace checked and inspected by a professional. Do the same for other gas appliances, as well as your fireplace. Make sure that all the venting systems are checked, too, so that nothing leaks. Replace your furnace filter regularly, as well.

You can also install carbon monoxide alarms. They should be situated one on each level of the home, somewhere near the bedrooms and around 20 feet away from gas-based appliances.